With gas prices on the rise, Valley Metro is launching its RideShare Month campaign today to encourage commuters Valley-wide to resort to alternative methods of commuting: public transit, carpool, vanpool, bike or foot.
Calling February “Rideshare Month,” Valley Metro is telling commuters to “Try 1 in 5,” or pick one workday each week to carpool with others.
“The RideShare program is about awareness and having people try a new mode of travel, to do something that’s going to help our environment as well as help save money,” said Valley Metro spokeswoman Susan Tierney.
To kick off Rideshare Month, Valley Metro workers are holding an event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at CityScape in downtown Phoenix, where Valley residents can speak with employees to learn more about public transportation and carpool-partner matching.
With prices rising at the pumps, the program may help commuters cut down on transportation costs.
The average price of gas has risen to $3.04 in Arizona, while nationwide prices are even higher. The average price for a gallon of regular fuel in the United States is $3.11, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
U.S. production of gasoline has decreased because of freeze-offs in the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest, while extremely cold weather conditions across the country have put a strain on production.
The Valley Metro program also encourages ASU students to travel by the light rail or to carpool. A discounted transit pass is available for students, which helps them avoid having to pay for an expensive parking permit, Tierney said.
The main reasons commuters are willing to consider carpooling or vanpooling is to save money, to help the environment and because they have co-workers or friends whom they are able to share rides with, she said.
More than two in five full-time employees use an alternate mode of transportation at least once a week, according to Valley Metro.
Criminal justice junior Melissa Capone drives her truck to both the West and downtown Phoenix campuses for class.
Using the bus or carpooling would make standing at the pump more bearable, Capone said, because she would be spending less money on transportation.
“A little help never hurt a college student,” Capone said.
Reach the reporter at cstarboa@asu.edu
