High Gas Prices Lead To More Mother Lode Carpoolers

Sonora, Ca — With skyrocketing fuel prices, Renee Chapman with Foothill Rideshare says more people are finding it to be a necessity to carpool.

?We´re seeing at least one to two people each day sign up for ridesharing,? says Chapman. ?It makes it better for everybody who is registered because there are just that many more people to match with.?

The free carpool matching service is a joint effort between the Calaveras Council of Governments, Tuolumne County and Amador County.

For example, Chapman says that there are 3,133 Tuolumne County residents that commute out of the county on a regular basis. 887 travel to Stanislaus County, 599 to Calaveras County, 406 to San Joaquin County, 239 to Santa Clara County and 236 to Alameda County.

?People are going in all different directions, and it is creating a lot of congestion on the roads, air pollution, and mostly it is using up a lot of fuel if there is only one person per car,? adds Chapman.

A new offering of Foothill Rideshare Services is van pools, in which up to six commuters can be paired up for travel. For more information, you can click Foothill Rideshare.

Written by BJ Hansen