| Fuel-efficient cars are great for combating global | | | | fewer greenhouse gas emissions (can I get an |
| warming. Electric-powered vehicles are even better. | | | | "Amen!"). A good place to find additional passengers |
| But nothing beats taking the bus. When it comes to | | | | who are going your way is Zimride, a company |
| going green on a budget, opting for public | | | | founded on the simple idea that strangers are more |
| transportation is the surest way to reduce your | | | | likely to share rides with each other if they can be |
| eco-impact. This isn't a news flash. As the | | | | made to feel comfortable before they meet. To meet |
| environmental community has reminded us for years, | | | | those needs, Zimride has created a social networking |
| public transportation-combined with walking and/or | | | | platform that enables members to create personal |
| biking-is a surefire path to eco-enlightenment. It's been | | | | profiles and select ride mates who share similar music |
| proven. A study from the Environmental Law & | | | | tastes, favorite sports teams, or who just seem |
| Policy Center (ELPC) found that a bus carrying just | | | | "normal." Zimmers can also evaluate things like driving |
| seven passengers is more fuel-efficient (read: | | | | speed, music volume, and smoking preferences before |
| eco-friendly) than the average car. A full bus is six | | | | agreeing to hop in. In addition to finding rides at |
| times more efficient. And a full train is 15 times more | | | | Zimride.com, the Zimride Facebook application makes |
| fuel-efficient than the average vehicle. But millions of us | | | | the ridesharing service readily available to Facebook's |
| have yet to ditch our cars for the bus or the subway | | | | 100 million-plus users. |
| or the train. Life without a vehicle saves us money by | | | | Zimride is one of many vehicle-oriented services that |
| liberating us from car payments, insurance premiums, | | | | consider the environment and your budget. |
| sky-high gas prices, and general maintenance bills. | | | | RideAmigos is for those who want to share taxicabs |
| That's obvious. But it's not enough. There has to be | | | | anywhere around the world. PickUpPal combines ride |
| something else-a perk of sorts-that would make public | | | | sharing with package delivery-earn a little extra cash |
| transportation (or walking or biking) so enticing that we | | | | while you consolidate trips. And Shareling connects |
| would have no choice but to leave our cars behind. | | | | travelers looking to share a road trip-the website's |
| Free Internet access would be a start. Logging on | | | | interactive maps show available rides across the globe. |
| while commuting would alter the nature of the | | | | What better way to get from Cairo to Karachi on a |
| nine-to-five hustle. Instead of spending their morning | | | | Lazy Environmentalist budget? While Zimride makes |
| journey wishing they were still in bed, commuters | | | | ride sharing easy and stress-free, NuRide ups the ante |
| would be able to finish that report before the early | | | | by offering you rewards for sharing rides. The service |
| meeting, catch up on email, join an online game of | | | | operates just like an airline membership rewards |
| Texas Hold 'Em, or whatever it is that one does with | | | | program. The more rides you share, the more points |
| the World Wide Web. And in more than 20 cities | | | | you earn and the more value you can redeem. |
| across America, Wi-Fi-equipped public transportation is | | | | Partners include Applebee's, Austin Grill, and Ringling |
| no longer a fantasy. Bus fare in places like Cincinnati, | | | | Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. If that's not |
| Reno, Austin, Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, San | | | | motivation to find some passengers, I don't know what |
| Francisco, and Seattle increasingly grants riders | | | | is. |
| unlimited access to the Internet. | | | | Then there's the vanpool. That's right. The vanpool. |
| Wi-Fi is spreading to trains too. In Massachusetts, the | | | | The rising popularity of ride sharing as both a |
| 45-mile rail line connecting Worchester and Boston | | | | cost-saving and environmental strategy has inspired |
| recently added free public Wi-Fi. And commuters are | | | | groups of people (usually from 7 to 15) to share a van |
| digging it. Kriss Erickson, deputy chief of staff for the | | | | for their daily commute. A designated driver rides for |
| Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, says | | | | free and everyone else shares the costs. To simplify |
| that adding wireless Internet access is "probably the | | | | the process, some rental car and leasing companies |
| most well-received enhancement that we've ever | | | | are contributing. Enterprise Rent-A-Car is increasingly |
| done." Plans are now under way to add Wi-Fi to all of | | | | offering a vanpooling rental program around the |
| Boston's commuter rail lines. Santa Fe and Salt Lake | | | | country. For about $75 to $120 each per month, |
| City are not far behind. | | | | Vanpoolers can use a van with insurance and |
| Public transportation is best, but cars can still fit into a | | | | maintenance fees included. And thanks to a Federal |
| Lazy Environmentalist lifestyle if you drive them the | | | | tax incentive program called Commuter Choice, those |
| right way-that is, full to capacity. The more passengers | | | | who work for a company that creates or sponsors a |
| in the car, the lower the individual eco-impact of each | | | | vanpool or ride share program can have up to $115 of |
| person. That's because sharing rides helps take cars | | | | their monthly paycheck applied tax-free to cover |
| off the road, and fewer cars on the road means | | | | commuting costs. |