Curious to Carpool?

So you want to try Carpooling! Maybe you’ve heard about the new commuting tool GoManitoba, but not sure what this whole cramming into one car thing is all about…

 

It’s as simple as connecting with people in your community who are commuting to work/school at the same time and to a nearby destination and sharing the ride instead of driving alone. In addition to saving money and reducing vehicle wear-and-tear, carpooling also reduces stress, is more environmentally friendly, and often saves time. Carpooling also helps to reduce the demands of parking, making more space for a vibrant urban environment with fewer parking lots.

NOTE: carpooling/ ridesharing is different from ridehailing (Uber, Lyft, etc.). Learn more here.

The burning question: How do I organize a carpool?

All you have to do to get started is register and create a user profile with GoManitoba to see all of your carpool and green commuting options. GoManitoba will connect you with people looking to carpool in your neighborhood and are travelling to a nearby location and on a similar time frame as you. See our user guide on how to get started.

 

 

Tips to create a successful carpool:

• If this is a new carpool, suggest a getting-to-know-you meetup at a public place, like a coffee shop. Full Hints and Tips to Keep It Safe And Fun here!
• Decide which days you want to carpool and if you’ll take turns driving. If one person does most of the driving, decide on the amount and method of reimbursement. The Federal Standard Mileage Rate is a good place to start
• Talk about where your carpool will meet. Park and ride lots can make great meeting places.
• Decide on some ground rules around smoking, musical preferences and food and drinks in the car.
• Communicate! Share your contact information and make sure you alert your carpool if you have a change in plans.
• Be flexible, considerate and patient. Plans change, and you may need to adapt.

Don’t just take our word for it!

Hear it straight from some of our Commuter Challenge carpool participants:

Commuting by bike or walk/run also helps get you active and saves you time and money from parking/getting stuck in traffic. Unfortunately my current work area is too far to bike or walk/run to work (40 kms), so I carpool with another person from my work. It is a great team building exercise as we now know each other better than if we drove ourselves to work separately and we save money on gas/car maintenance. –  Remi Dupont

I find that carpooling is a great way to visit and unwind after a day at work. –  Rebecca Lett

It was great to see how many tons of CO2 was saved just by car pooling! We carpool to save money and it’s convenient for us! –  Jerilyn