Don’t let skyrocketing gas prices keep you from traveling to your favorite concerts, festivals and sporting events this summer. It’s still cheaper to drive than fly, but it’s even cheaper to drive with other people—and kinder to the planet. That’s the idea behind Pickup Pal, a service that matches drivers going from point A to point B with riders along the way; drivers earn money after paying 7 percent commission to Pickup Pal. Since its launch in January 2008, Pickup Pal’s rideshare program has averted more than 1 million lbs. of CO2 from the atmosphere.
Rideshare programs are definitely not new—Craigslist.org’s rideshare program has been around for years, as have local carpool programs for commuters. Many of my friends use Craigslist to find rides, whether for a short ride to the airport or a trip out of state to visit family; regardless, they save money and meet interesting people. But Pickup Pal bills itself as “the world’s first online transportation marketplace;” it’s easy to use, free to join—and they do the matchmaking for you.
Even cooler, one of Pickup Pal’s newest programs,
Eco-Rideshare, allows users to create unique Web pages for specific concerts, festivals, sporting events, corporate events and more. In May, The Dave Matthews Band joined up, encouraging fans to use Eco-Rideshare to 53 concerts during its North American tour. Check out the full list of partners at
www.pickuppal.com/erp/partners.
Have you ever used a rideshare program? Would you be interested in a program like Eco-Rideshare? Let us know your thoughts.