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Carpooling Primer
If Caltrain doesn’t exactly get you where you need to go, consider a number of carpooling options – meant to ease pressure on the commute, congestion and on your wallet. Plus, you might make a friend along the way.
Why Bother Carpooling?
- Save time using HOV lanes
- Save money
- Work, read or nap while traveling to/from work
- Save the environment
- Several employers offer perks to carpoolers – check in with your H.R. department.
Not Your Grandfather’s Casual Carpool
With innovation in this sector, it’s easier than ever to carpool. With two prominent carpooling apps Scoop and Waze out there, this is true ride-sharing with top technology behind it. And we’re not talking about taxi-style services, such as Lyft or Uber. This is true commuter-commuter carpooling, coordinated by sophisticated algorithms.
Scoop – An easy, custom carpooling app to commute with co-workers and neighbors. Schedule your commute trip ahead of time. Return rides are always guaranteed. For every trip you take, Scoop tailors a custom carpool based on route, employer, traffic and more.
People who give rides via Scoop typically receive around $5 per passenger for a trip of 20 miles, or about 25 cents a mile. Riders save about 25% on their commute. Check out the Scoop video here > Download the Scoop app here >
Waze – Yes, the popular navigation app is piloting a carpooling mode in the Bay Area. Similar to Scoop, Waze Carpool comprises a trusted community of drivers and riders teaming up to make commuting more convenient and affordable by riding together. Again, you’ll schedule your ride ahead of time and the technology takes care of matching you with your ideal carpool companion.
Read the FAQ, view the video and download the Waze Carpool here >
Carpooling Etiquette Tips
- Sit in the Front It’s more polite to sit in the front if that seat is available. Remember, the drivers are not “cab drivers.” They’re just ordinary people, like you, getting to their workplace.
- No Food or Drink Neither drivers nor riders should smoke or eat while in the car. Eventually you might discover that a carpool buddy enjoys a cup of green tea in the morning, as do you. So maybe you begin picking up a courtesy cup for your fellow commuter.
- No Phone Conversations You’re in close proximity in the car and your driver should be concentrating on getting you both safely to your destinations. Texting and email is a perfectly fine passenger activity.
- Avoid Personal Grooming Sure, you rushed around to get to work, but it’s best to avoid things like putting on make-up, combing your beard, etc. while in someone else’s car.
- Never Sing Unless, of course, your carpool driver is James Corden, in which case – Carpool Karaoke!
Experience Midurban life. Bay Meadows is a family-friendly neighborhood with lots of open space to enjoy all year long. Whether it’s growing your own vegetables in a gorgeous community garden with expert guidance, playing a game of pick-up basketball after work, team building over bocce, picnicking with family on warm summer nights or getting fit with pop-up fitness and yoga classes curated just for you, there’s no shortage of green space to explore. If you have little ones, don’t miss Momdays on Mondays in Paddock Park! Check out life out and about at Bay Meadows by following us on Instagram.