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From Sue Stetler, SEMCOG Communications Director • e-mail • 313-961-4266

SEMCOG suggests RideShare as a solution to high gas prices;
Use the RideShare Calculator to see how much you can save

As gas prices continue to rise in Southeast Michigan, SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, suggests sharing a ride to work as one way for consumers to keep their commuting costs low.

Can consumers save money by sharing a ride? Absolutely, says SEMCOG. To find out how much, consumers are urged to visit SEMCOG's Web site, where a RideShare Cost Savings Calculator is available to calculate savings.

The calculator asks five simple questions:

1. What is your daily round trip commute distance?
2. How many days per month do you normally work?
3. How many miles per gallon does your vehicle average?
4. How much per gallon do you normally pay for gasoline?
5. How much do you pay for monthly parking?

Once these questions are answered, the calculator calculates the savings. And savings are significant. Sharing a ride with one person (assuming a round-trip commute of just 20 miles and gas at $3.20 per gallon), annual savings amount to more than $1,600 per year. Sharing a ride with three people increases the savings to more than $2,400 per year. Commuting with a nine-passenger vanpool further increases savings to $2,900 per year.

SEMCOG's RideShare program is a free, computerized service that matches car and vanpool partners for the daily work commute. Users will be matched with others who share common neighborhoods, work locations, and hours. While many commuters may choose a more informal ride share, those who register as carpool or vanpool participants in SEMCOG's RideShare program are also eligible for RideShare's Guaranteed Ride Home Program, which offers taxi fare reimbursement should an emergency arise during the workday and there is a need to get home in a hurry.

To find out if the RideShare program will work for you, please call 866-510-POOL or complete an application online at www.semcog.org.

Employers may want to introduce this free service to their employees. SEMCOG staff will come to your office and explain. Call SEMCOG at 313-961-4266 for more details on this program.

Another easy way to get the most out of what you pay for gas is to make sure that your tires are properly inflated and your vehicle is properly maintained. A properly maintained vehicle will get better gas mileage. Properly inflated tires can save five cents a gallon in gas!

Local Governments Advancing Southeast Michigan

Read recent SEMCOG news releases

SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership of governmental units serving 4.9 million people in the seven-county region of Southeast Michigan striving to enhance the region's quality of life.

Southeast Michigan Council of Governments
535 Griswold Street, Suite 300 Detroit, MI 48226-3602
313-961-4266 - Fax 313-961-4869
www.semcog.org