Frequently Asked Questions
What is Carpooling?
Do I need a car to carpool?
If I fill out a RideShare application, do I have to carpool?
What are the advantages of carpooling?
What if there's an emergency?
What if I have to work late and don't have my car?
Doesn't carpooling make the commute longer?
I need my car for errands during the day. Can I still carpool?
Can I meet a carpool somewhere other than my home?
How do I Find a Carpool Partner?
Do I have to pay for RideShare to receive a carpool matchlist?
What you get...What you DO
What is Carpooling?"
Carpooling is when two or more adult commuters ride together in a private
automobile on a continuing basis, regardless of their relationship to each
other or the cost of sharing agreements.
Finding someone to carpool is easy because employees of a single company often
live near each other. Neighbors may work at different companies located only a
short distance apart and have the same work hours.
"Do I need a car to carpool?"
You do not need a car to carpool. The RideShare database has registrants that
have an automobile and are looking for passengers as well as registrants that
do not have an automobile.
Carpools can be arranged in one of the following ways:
One person may drive all the time, while the passengers contribute only to the
cost (e.g., gas and parking).
Participants may alternate driving and not exchange money.
The carpool driver may pick up passengers at their homes, or they may meet at a
central location.
Collectively, the carpool participants make up the rules and schedule.
"If I fill out a RideShare application, do I have to carpool?"
You are not obligated to carpool if you fill out an application and receive a
matchlist. You can file the matchlist away for emergency purposes or use it as
a reference to see if other co-workers live near you who have the same work
schedule. Remember, you may be contacted by other commuters who have received
your name as a possible match.
"What are the advantages of carpooling?"
There are many advantages of carpooling, and here are a few of the advantages:
Less stress commuting to and from work
Financial savings due to sharing commuting costs. See our Cost of Driving a Car
to commute your savings
Reduces need for parking
Increases free time for riders
Reduces pollution due to auto emissions
Reduces traffic congestion
"What if there's an emergency or what if I have to work late and
don't have my car?"
Bay Area Commuter Services (BACS) will provide carpool registrants with 8
FREE taxi rides home per year if you have an emergency or have to work unscheduled
overtime—ask us about our Emergency Ride Home Program for more information.
"Doesn't carpooling make the commute longer?"
After an initial adjustment period, most participants find carpooling only adds
a few extra minutes a day for the drive to a scheduled pick-up point, and that
may be a pretty fair trade-off for the dollar savings.
"I need my car for errands during the day. Can I still carpool?"
Discuss schedule changes with other carpoolers in your group. You may be able
to set your pick-up point close to a shopping center or bank to accommodate
errands after work. Or, you may choose not to carpool on the days you must run
an errand.
"Can I meet a carpool somewhere other than my home?"
Yes. There are 27 Park-and-Ride lots that are designed for commuters to meet
their carpools, vanpools or bus in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. To find
a Park-and-Ride location near you contact BACS or pick up a free copy of the Tampa Bay Commuter.
"How Do I Find a Carpool Partner?"
Whether you need another person for an existing carpool, or you need to find
partners to form a new carpool, BACS can help you. At BACS, carpool partners
are located through our computerized data base that matches commuters with
similar commutes. Our database contains thousands of potential carpool partners
in Hillsborough, Pinellas,
Finding a carpool partner is easy with BACS. Here's how:
Call us at (800) 998-RIDE (7433) to complete a RideShare application over the
phone or to request an application be sent to you, or visit our website at www.TampaBayRideshare.org to access
a registration form on line.
"Do I have to pay to receive a carpool matchlist from BACS?"
NO. BACS is a FREE carpool referral service which is funded through the Florida
Department of Transportation to enhance the Bay area’s competitiveness and
economic vitality by reducing roadway congestion, air pollution and fuel
consumption.
What you Get....What You DO
After completing a matchlist application, BACS will send you a list containing
the names of commuters with commutes similar to yours. Call everyone on the
list to form a carpool or find an existing carpool. If you need a new matchlist
call us at (800) 988-RIDE (7433) and request a new list.
No luck with your list? If you've called the commuters on your matchlist, but
you could not find a carpool partner, or BACS was unable to find you a match at
this time, don't worry. New commuters are constantly being added to our
database. Just call us and ask for a new matchlist.