Caltech Launches New Ridematching Service

From: Caltech Parking and Commuter Services

Caltech is pleased to announce the launch of a new ridematching platform for Caltech commuters. Caltech has partnered with Rideshark to create CaltechRideshare.com, a new service that will match Caltech staff, faculty, and students with other Caltech commuters in their area. The platform is exclusively for Caltech users and is accessible on your desktop through Access.caltech, or as a mobile app. To download the mobile app, search for ‘caltechrideshare' in Google Play or Apple App store.

Whether you live close to campus or commute a long distance, CaltechRideshare.com has something to offer anyone looking for new commuting options:

For people that are interested in carpooling:

On Caltechrideshare.com, you can find other Caltech people in your area that are also interested in carpooling. You can specify if you are interested in driving or riding as a passenger. You can also specify your ridematching preferences in terms of gender, and smoker vs non-smoker.

For people that live close to campus:

Do you feel unsafe walking or biking on the street alone? On Caltechrideshare.com, you can find other Caltech people near you that are also interested in finding walking or biking partners.

For people that are interested in vanpooling:

Vanpooling is ideal for people that travel 15 miles or more to campus. Using CaltechRideshare.com, you can find existing vanpools in your area or find other people near you that are interested in forming a new vanpool. Vanpools receive subsidies from both Caltech ($100 per rider), and from Metro ($300 per van), so the cost savings for the riders can be significant compared to driving alone.

For those that would like to reduce the cost of your commute:

Sharing the ride with a coworker reduces your gas costs of driving to work by 50%. If you and your coworker take turns driving, you will also reduce the wear and tear on your car and can greatly reduce the cost of parking.

Did you know that a Caltech carpool permit is half the cost of a standard commuter permit? Plus, the cost of the permit is divided between the members of the carpool, so the cost per person can be 75% cheaper than an individual parking permit.

For those that would like to reduce your carbon footprint:

Using CaltechRideshare.com, you can explore all the options available for taking alternative forms of transportation. Leaving your vehicle at home even one or two days per week is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and do you part to help the environment.

For people already in a carpool:

On Caltechrideshare.com, you can let people in your area know that you are interested in finding new riders in your carpool. Interested riders will be able to contact you, or you can reach out to others that have expressed an interest in sharing the ride.