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Cool Commutes: Casual Carpool

From Vijay, Featured Contributor
Posted on June 10, 2008

How I get to work every day.

I recently moved from San Francisco to Oakland which has had some impact on my commute. Rather than waiting for a sporadic public bus across town to campus, I instead stroll two blocks to catch a Casual Carpool (“CCP”) ride.

During commute hours, those seeking a ride to San Francisco arrive at the CCP stop on foot, while those with space in their cars come looking for riders. At my particular location, there is usually a line of cars waiting for passengers. When it is your turn, you hop into the first car in the queue, and off you go. By convention, the driver drops of his/her passengers at a standard location in downtown San Francisco. Barring a major accident, this takes about 15 minutes, substantially less time than driving on your own.

The CCP has been going on for a long time out here, and I am told there are similar opportunities for informal ridesharing in certain parts of the Washington DC area (where the practice is known as slugging) and taxi pooling from upper Manhattan down to Wall Street. Such transit arrangements work because for a small investment and risk, everyone gets something tangible and positive. In our CCP, the driver gets to go through the carpool lane onto the Bay Bridge [not only a much shorter time waiting in line but also free bridge toll] and the riders get a quick and free(!) ride to a central destination.

I do not know its history, but I believe the CCP started with a frustrated commuter who, tired of waiting in traffic, pulled up at a BART station and called out to the would-be train riders: “Hey, how about a ride to San Francisco? I won’t charge you anything. It’s a great deal!!” The first brave volunteers must have wondered what exactly they were stepping into. Once in the carpool lane, there must have been a moment of collective exhilaration when, while sailing past the stop-and-go traffic, everyone in the car realized that they had just scored a huge coup by banding together. Driver and riders alike shared the good news with their friends, neighbors, and co-workers and the system grew.

Today, there are dozens of well established locations all over the East Bay, a reliable stream of both riders and drivers, and a widely known etiquette about driver-passenger interaction (e.g. the first arriving passenger usually gets in the back seat, conversation is frowned upon unless initiated by the driver, the drop-off is always at the same place…).

I would like to note that my beloved Casual Carpool would likely never have occurred without the right conditions being present: an obvious place to search for passengers, rising gas prices, and a government sponsored incentive for putting multiple people into a single car. But even under these conditions, no one realized that the CCP was just waiting to happen– until it did. And the benefits accrued by thousands every day – drivers, passengers, and environmentalists alike – would still be a dream if analysts had tried to design it.

Read more from Vijay at www.vijaym.com

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Vijay is a featured contributor for vLane.
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Displaying 1-9 of 9 comments
  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on July 2, 2008

    I used to live in the East bay and worked on the Peninsula. I drove and picked up riders at the casual car pool location every day. It was great in the mornings with the use of the HOV lane and no bridge toll. I dropped passengers off in the city and then continued on down the peninsula. Going the other direction was OK, but I found that the trip into the city with the afternoon traffic decreased the benefit to me. It would have been great if the pick up location was located a bit closer to off/on ramps, but that is a minor complaint. A word on safety, as a male and the driver, I personally never felt uncomfortable. I could understand that it would be different as a female passenger. The good thing is that there is safety in numbers. Most cars need 3 people to qualify for the HOV lane. That means 1 driver and 2 passengers. However, I always tried to fill my car, so the ratio was 1 driver to 3 passengers. I think this helps quell most fears about the safety of riding with strangers. Also common sense should prevail. A car with only 2 seats qualifies for the HOV lane with only 2 occupants (one driver, one passenger). If a potential passenger doesn't feel safe getting in a car the passenger always has a right to refuse the ride, giving it to the next passenger in line. All in all it was a good experience. I have since moved to the peninsula and ride my bike to work (a short 1 mile hop), continuing my commitment to minimizing my driving in this congested region.

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 13, 2008

    lol dongs

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 11, 2008

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 11, 2008

    Its too bad parking is so expensive for you. Fortunately parking for me is free, and getting to the train station would actually cost more for me than casual carpool.

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 11, 2008

    Great story, I hadn't heard of it yet! We'll have to see how this could work in Orange County (CA)

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 11, 2008

    In Washington DC, we call it "slugging." There are parking lots all over the area where "slug lines" form. It's actually fairly safe, especially considering the HOV lanes in DC require three people, which means you have to pick up at least two people. The chances of two strangers both being dangerous is low. :-) My girlfriend was a passenger and a driver in the slug lines for over two years and never had a single issue with it.

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 11, 2008

    this is great why doest miami have anything like this??? I see tons of SUVs and whatnot driving around with only 1 occupant! its crazy

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on June 11, 2008

    I like this idea, but it seems slightly unsafe to me. For all you know you could be the potential victim of a murder suicide...

  • Flag
    From Stergios
    Commented on June 10, 2008

    Watch Vijay talk about all kinds of cool business problems in this awesome video!

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