Carpool

Keep planning, courtesy and flexibility as priorities for successful carpooling. Here’s how to mind your manners:

• Contact the people on your ridematch list and tell them you received their names through 511NY Rideshare’s ridematching service.
• Exchange information with fellow carpoolers, including work and home phone numbers, emergency contacts and insurance information.
• Talk specifics and get to know your ridematch partners and their carpooling preferences, including establishing whether participants will drive, ride, or share driving responsibilities.
• Arrange a drive/ride scenario that is suitable to everyone. Determine backup drivers and consider whether participants are carpooling daily or part-time.
• Determine pickup and drop-off locations and meeting times. Park & Ride lots are a great place to meet.
• Schedule times for pickups and departures. Set a lateness policy for both drivers and passengers.
• Determine cost sharing. If each person in the carpool takes a turn driving, then there is no need for money to change hands. If only one person drives, however, each rider should contribute a reasonable fare to cover gas, tolls, parking and wear and tear on the driver’s vehicle. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the 2012 standard mileage rate for business miles is 55.5 cents per mile, which you can divide among the passengers.

Rules Of The Road

• Set ground rules. Agree upfront on personal preferences, such as choice of radio stations, smoking, eating in the car and side trips.
• Fuel up, before picking up passengers, with enough gas for the roundtrip journey.
• Be on time to meet in the morning and after work. This applies to both drivers and riders. Give each other a 5-minute window for unexpected delays.
• Notify fellow carpoolers a day or more in advance if you will not be riding in the pool. Notify others right away if you are taking a sick day or have a personal emergency.
• Avoid personal errands or detours.
• Allow extra time in inclement weather.
• Drive carefully. Always make sure passengers feel that they are in good hands.
• Maintain your vehicle both mechanically and aesthetically. Keep it clean and comfortable for passengers.
• Check your insurance for rider coverage and possible reduction in premiums.

And Remember To

• Sign up for our Guaranteed Ride Program. If you can't leave with your carpool for any reason, you'll always have a way to get to your destination – for free! Take a taxi or transit and we'll reimburse you (limitations apply). To learn how to enroll, call 511 and say “Rideshare.” Out-of-state travelers can call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169), select a region (Hudson Valley/Catskills, Long Island, New York City Metro) and then say “Rideshare.”
• Call 511NY Rideshare with any questions about ridesharing, including how to find new carpool partners or the most convenient Park & Ride lots.

Q. What is ridesharing, and why should I do it?
A. Sharing a ride with other commuters or travelers—in a carpool, vanpool, bus or train—is known as ridesharing. The benefits of ridesharing include reduced travel costs, less wear and tear on your vehicle, a less stressful trip and helping your community by reducing both traffic congestion and air pollution.

Q. What is carpooling?
A. A carpool is two or more travelers or commuters sharing a ride. It is simple to set up and flexible. You do not have to carpool every day but as often as your schedule allows. To join a carpool, register for ridematching.

Q. How does carpooling work?
A. Carpools are based on sharing travel expenses. Carpoolers may either use one driver and share expenses or rotate driving duties and eliminate the need for money to change hands. To join a carpool, register for ridematching.

Q. How much time will I save if I drive in the HOV lanes?
A. The average estimate is that you can shave up to 20 minutes off of your trip—each way—if you drive in the HOV lanes.

Q. If I were to join a carpool, would I be committing to the carpool 5 days a week?
A. Absolutely not. You decide how many days during the week you want to drive with your carpool partner(s). As long as it works for you and your carpool partner(s), that’s all that matters.

Q. What if I need my car for personal appointments or errands?
A. Plan these activities on specific days and rideshare the rest of the time.

Q. What if my schedule is irregular?
A. Those with irregular schedules are better candidates for carpooling than vanpooling. Even if there is just one day a week where you travel during more regular hours, you could arrange a carpool for that particular day. More people are working flexible hours, so you might be able to match up with someone in a situation similar to your own.

Q. What if I need my car during the day?
A. Be the designated driver of your carpool and drive every day. Share the expenses with your rider(s).

Q. What if I need to take my child to daycare?
A. Try making the daycare center the meeting place for your carpool. Or meet at a centralized location, such as a Park & Ride lot.

Q. What happens if the driver of my carpool has to work overtime and cannot drive me to my destination? What if my child gets sick at school, and I have to leave work unexpectedly? How will I get to her/him?
A. Our Guaranteed Ride Program is your “insurance policy” for ridesharing situations like these. If you are a registered participant in the program, 511NY Rideshare will pay for your ride to your destination if your carpool driver is unable to fulfill his or her responsibility for the carpool (limitations apply). Likewise, 511NY Rideshare will pay for your ride to your child in the case of an emergency. To learn more about the Guaranteed Ride Program and to enroll, call 511 and say “Rideshare.” Out-of-state travelers can call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169), select a region (Hudson Valley/Catskills, Long Island, New York City Metro) and then say “Rideshare.”

Q. How much does it cost to be part of a carpool?
A. The participants in the carpool determine the costs and details of the carpool. Some carpools rotate driving responsibility and bypass the exchange of money entirely. Others have one driver and one or more passengers who split the costs equally. According to the Internal Revenue Service, the 2012 standard mileage rate for business miles is 55.5 cents per mile, which you can divide among the passengers.

Q. How can I find a carpool?
A. To find a carpool, register for ridematching or call 511 and say “Rideshare.” Out-of-state travelers can call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169), select a region (Hudson Valley/Catskills, Long Island, New York City Metro) and then say “Rideshare.”

• Consistent travel times and routes
• Savings on gas, parking and tolls, thus more cost-effective than driving alone
• More productive use of time for passengers
• Less wear and tear on personal vehicle
• Access to high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, where available for faster travel times
• Improved air quality

It happens. Emergencies and unexpected situations arise. If you or your driver gets sick, or if your driver cannot pick you up, no problem. 511NY Rideshare’s Guaranteed Ride Program is hassle free and easy to use.  And the best part is, there’s no cost to you. It’s an insurance policy for commuters and travelers. If you miss your ride, carpool or vanpool due to an emergency, we’ll pay for you to get to your destination by public transit or taxi. It’s that easy. (Limitations apply.)

To learn more about Guaranteed Ride Program and how to enroll, email us or call 511 and say “Rideshare.” Out-of-state travelers can call 888-GO511NY (888-465-1169), select a region (Hudson Valley/Catskills, Long Island, New York City Metro) and then say “Rideshare.”

HOV lanes (aka carpool lanes) are reserved for vehicles carrying a minimum of 2 or sometimes 3 passengers. Cars or vans traveling in these lanes can avoid traffic and get to work faster. Below you will find a list of HOV lanes in the New York metropolitan area:

Hudson Valley

There are currently no HOV lanes in Hudson Valley

New York City

Click here for a list of HOV lanes in New York City

Long Island

Click here for a list of HOV lanes in Long Island

HOV hours are 6 am to 10 am, and 3 pm to 8 pm on weekdays. At any other time, the LIE HOV lanes are open to all traffic.