Vehicles carrying only one occupant outnumbered those carrying two people or more by a factor of five, according to an unscientific visual study carried out during the morning commute at the intersection of Lower Red Rock Loop Road and the northbound lanes of Highway 89A at 7 a.m. Monday, June 16.
However, if the cost of a medium-sized tank of gas continues on its current trajectory past $60.00, some of those solitary people might find themselves priced out of driving their car to work.
Some people are already fed up with gas prices, giving the Sedona RoadRunner’s Cottonwood Express run a try.
“I started using the Express when my car broke down,” said Nancy Conway, human resources director for A Day in the West, who lives in Cottonwood and commutes back and forth to Sedona. “It was so much fun and I met so many nice people that I still ride it even though mycar’s fixed.”
By Susan Johnson
Larson Newspapers
Vehicles carrying only one occupant outnumbered those carrying two people or more by a factor of five, according to an unscientific visual study carried out during the morning commute at the intersection of Lower Red Rock Loop Road and the northbound lanes of Highway 89A at 7 a.m. Monday, June 16.
However, if the cost of a medium-sized tank of gas continues on its current trajectory past $60.00, some of those solitary people might find themselves priced out of driving their car to work.
Some people are already fed up with gas prices, giving the Sedona RoadRunner’s Cottonwood Express run a try.
“I started using the Express when my car broke down,” said Nancy Conway, human resources director for A Day in the West, who lives in Cottonwood and commutes back and forth to Sedona. “It was so much fun and I met so many nice people that I still ride it even though my car’s fixed.”
For those whose schedules match the morning and late afternoon runs between Cottonwood and Sedona, the $4 a day round trip ticket is a bargain; even better is the $40 a month pass.
“You have to accept that it’s not always going to be perfect timing for your schedule,” Conway said. “But, the single best way to fight the increase in the cost of gas is to not buy any.”
In a region that, so far, lacks regular hourly bus service, the next quickest way to cut commuting costs in half or even to a third, is by sharing the ride with others.
“Some of our employees have already started doubling up whenever they can,” said Rob Holeman, owner of Sedona Real Inn & Suites.
To help other willing carpoolers find each other, the Northern Arizona Intergovernmental Public Transportation Authority, through an intergovernmental agreement with the state, is now providing free computerized ridematching.
By logging onto the Internet site www.sharetheride.com and answering a few simple questions — location, destination, days of week and times of day — registrants will be matched with other registered travelers who meet the same needs for shared transportation.
Once a match is determined, individual registrants contact one another by e-mail.
There’s no cost to individuals or organizations for this service; the cost of the system is borne by NAIPTA, which operates the Sedona RoadRunner system in Sedona, the Cottonwood Express service between Cottonwood and Sedona, and works together with the Cottonwood Area Transit system in Cottonwood.
The matching service does not yet have a large database of
registrants, since it’s relatively new.
However, as more and more people look for ways to cut their costs, it’s expected to develop into a viable alternative.
Holeman, who is also president of the Sedona Lodging Council, said he welcomed the idea of computerized matching and would suggest it to his employees.
In conjunction with the database, NAIPTA offers “ground rules” that make sharing the ride to and from work more pleasant for everyone involved:
n Decide whom to call or e-mail on your match list.
n Arrange an informal meet-ing near home or work, or call on the phone and agree on ground rules.
n Decide on a schedule —
who is going to drive and who will ride.
n Set up a convenient pick-up and drop-off point.
n Determine waiting time, radio stations and reimbursement for commuting costs. If each person in the carpool takes a turn at driving, then there’s no need to charge. If only one person drives, however, each rider should pay a reasonable fare.
n Trade phone numbers with everyone in the group and keep a copy at home and at work.
n Share insurance information to make sure drivers have adequate coverage.
n Set up the carpool on a trial basis to see how it goes; that way each participant can change their mind if it’s not working.
Once the carpool is formed, remember the following guidelines to keep things running smoothly:
n Agree on an alternative plan in case the driver is not available.
n Gas up ahead of time for the round trip.
n Resist making detours for personal errands, such as stopping at the store on the way home.
n Smoking, eating and talking are sensitive issues — establish those policies at the beginning.
If there are no carpool matches on Share the Ride, there are other ways to find carpool or vanpool partners:
n Contact co-workers and neighbors.
n Talk to your employer’s transportation coordinator or human resource department.
n Post a sign on bulletin boards at work.
n Check back to SharetheRide.com. Since new users register every day, there may be a match down the road.
Contact NAIPTA Project Manager Jim Tuck, at 928-679-8912, or jtuck@naipta.az.gov,
for further information or assistance.
Susan Johnson can be reached at 282-7795, Ext. 129 or e-mail sjohnson@larsonnewspapers.com
