With record high gas prices, commuting to work alone might make your paycheck disappear quickly. Sharing the ride with co-workers, however, has cost-saving advantages.
Bill Ramsey began carpooling to work at Savannah River Site three years ago. Currently, the four riders in his carpool, who work the same four-day schedule, alternate driving the 60-mile round trip.
"The convenience is saving on gas, and not having to drive and put miles on your car," Mr. Ramsey said. "The people not driving lay their head back and are sleeping."
The members of Mr. Ramsey's carpool live in the same area and meet at a nearby restaurant at 5:40 a.m.
SRS allows employees to advertise for carpools on the site's e-mail system, but many workers form carpools informally by word of mouth, said Will Callicott, a spokesman for Washington Savannah River Co.
"It is certainly something that more and more people are starting to talk about or look into," he said.
Other large employers in the Augusta area encourage workers to form carpools. Fort Gordon is in the process of implementing an organized carpooling system, said Public Affairs Officer James Hudgins.
At Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power facility near Waynesboro, Ga., one-third of employees ride to work with a carpool, said Alyson Suqua, spokeswoman for plant operator Southern Nuclear.
Nuclear specialist Mukut Sharma has carpooled to work since he began working at Plant Vogtle more than 26 years ago. He has commuted with as many as seven others before, but currently he meets two co-workers at a business near their homes.
"There is no way I could afford to come to work if I didn't have a carpool," Mr. Sharma said.
He estimates that in 26 years he has saved close to $100,000 on gas and car maintenance. On average, Plant Vogtle employees commute 75 to 100 miles a day, Ms. Suqua said. Workers advertise for carpools on bulletin boards and the company's internal Web site.
"We do encourage it because it helps with parking and other issues. It is a win-win situation because it helps the environment and us," Ms. Suqua said.
Nationally, Web sites organize drivers with others in their area looking for a ride. On eRideShare.com, the leading national carpooling site, drivers can sign up for a free membership and place listings for their commute. Traffic on the Web site has tripled since February, said Steven Schoeffler, executive director of eRideShare.com. Of the site's 16,000 commuter listings, 558 are from Georgia and 63 are from South Carolina.
Reach Meg Mirshak at (706) 828-2946 or meg.mirshak@augustachronicle.com.
CARPOOLING TIPS
SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER:
- Where will the designated pickup point be? Some people who carpool have door-to-door service, while others prefer to meet at a church or grocery store parking lot.
- Establish smoking/nonsmoking policies.
- Is eating or drinking allowed?
- Which station will you listen to on the radio?
- Will there be any extra stops?
- Who will be your alternate driver in cases of illness or emergency?
- How long will you wait for someone who is late? Three to five minutes is recommended.
Source: eRideShare.com
HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE BY CARPOOLING?
- A 10-mile round-trip commute costs $1,702.32 per year*. A two-person carpool would save each person $851.16.
- A 30-mile round-trip commute costs $5,106.84 per year. A three-person carpool would save each person $3,404.56.
- A 60-mile round-trip commute costs $10,213.56 per year. A four-person carpool would save each person $7,660.17.
*Yearly costs are based on 21 days commuting per month, Wednesday's $3.91 average price of gasoline for the Augusta-Aiken area, a 20-mile-per-gallon vehicle, and 48 cents per mile for ownership and maintenance costs.
Source: RideSearch.com
icon.
