The SF State Department of Parking and Transportation has created a new program called Ride Match to encourage students, faculty and staff to save resources and the environment by carpooling to school.

Ride Match is designed to team up members of the SF State community who live in proximity and have them carpool to and from campus.
Many SF State students acknowledge the benefits of a carpooling program and are eager to participate.

“I think (carpooling is) the smartest thing to do, not only for the environment but for yourself,” said SF State music and business major Price Troche. “It's so much easier to get around too.”

Terrie Soto, a 20-year-old undeclared major, agrees.

“Since tuition keeps going up, many students can’t afford cars, and some can’t even access public transportation,” she said. “(Carpooling) would help.”

According to the Department of Parking and Transportation, anyone interested in the program must fill out an application that can be found at the transportation office on North State Drive. After completing the application, participants will receive a list of people who live in their area who want to carpool to campus.

Lt. Amalia Borja, who represents the Parking and Transportation department at SF State, did not return several requests for comment.

California statewide census statistics from 2003 show that an average of 74 percent of commuters drive by themselves, compared to 12.6 percent of drivers who carpool, which is defined as two or more commuters sharing a ride to the same location.

Carpooling has been found to be an economically and environmentally beneficial by decreasing pollution, saving fossil fuels and reducing congestion, according to the California Department of Transportation.

Carpoolers are also permitted to use the High Occupancy Vehicle lanes (also known as the “diamond” lanes), which can decrease the time it takes to get to and from school.

At SF State, carpooling also increases the amount of parking available.

According to 2004 statistics from the American Automobile Association (AAA), solo drivers nationwide spend about 56 cents per mile, or about $8, 431 per year, which includes gas, car depreciation, maintenance and insurance.

Other programs that are similar to Ride Match also exist to encourage carpooling. ERideShare.com is a free nationwide service created for connecting commuters with other drivers who are going to the same locations. According to the website, 302 San Francisco commuters are currently sharing rides through ERideShare.

For those who carpool in San Mateo, either from or through San Mateo County, the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance has designed a program where one pays to drive with someone else, and for San Mateo college students, there is a Carpool to College program, which awards participates with a $20 gas card incentive.