GRANITE CITY, IL, January 4, 2008 . . . RideFinders today announced that, since Christmas Eve the volume of commuters requesting matchlists of other
individuals they can carpool or vanpool with was 13 times great than the same 10-day period a year prior. In anticipation of greater traffic volume on the proposed
alternate routes to I-64, approximately 266 additional commuters have registered with the ridematching service since Dec. 24, up from just 20 for the same period at
the end of 2006. Thirteen new carpools carrying 31 carpoolers have been registered since Christmas, as well a one new vanpooler. The new carpoolers push the total
numbers of carpoolers and vanpoolers registered with RideFinders to 7,250 commuters.
Although commuters had a smooth ride the first few days of the shutdown, noting only slight changes in traffic volume on some of the other alternate routes,
heavier volume is anticipated starting January 7th, forcing commuters to not only think about new routes but also other alternatives that can get them out
from behind the wheel of their own cars.
“The dramatic increase in the number of commuters considering carpooling or vanpooling to work, even with the reduced traffic volume this week, proves RideFinders
is an alternative of great interest,” said Joe Wright, director of RideFinders. “With traffic volume returning to a normal level on Jan. 7, RideFinders expects to
see increased use of our ridematching service as commuters discover the flexibility, relaxation and cost-savings of carpooling or vanpooling.”
Ridesharing offers commuters numerous benefits that improve their quality of life, such as: Control of their rideshare partners, schedule and route; lower stress
with free time to read, work, eat or sleep when not driving; and savings of $3,500 annually in gas and other commuting costs. RideFinders also offers commuters a
free $10 gas card to try ridesharing for 30 days and up to 6 free taxi rides home a year to continue ridesharing. Ridesharing commuters also improve the quality of
life for the entire region by reducing traffic congestion, stress and delays, as well as air pollution.
Employers can also help their employees rideshare during the I-64 shutdown by joining RideFinders. An employer’s human resources representative simply contacts
RideFinders at (800) VIP-RIDE to schedule a brief meeting and verbally join the program. RideFinders is a free, voluntary program for employers and commuters to
participate in, and is protected from liability by Missouri and Illinois State statutes. Once an employer joins, RideFinders provides free ridesharing materials,
offers the free gas card and taxi rides home, and hosts worksite rideshare promotions.
Commuters interested in carpooling in their personal vehicles or vanpooling in RideFinders vans for a monthly fare can access RideFinders free ridematching
service at www.ridefinders.org or (800) VIP-RIDE.
RideFinders was created in 1994 to improve the quality of life and work in the St. Louis by providing a free ridematching service to help over 7,000 commuters
carpool or vanpool to work, and by partnering with over 1,200 employers to provide free ridesharing information and incentives to commuters at work. RideFinders
is operated as a free public service by Madison County Transit for commuters who work in St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin Counties
in Missouri; and Madison, St. Clair and Monroe Counties in Illinois through federal grant funding from the United States Department of Transportation and the Federal
Highway Administration. For more information, visit www.ridefinders.org or call (800) VIP-RIDE.
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