FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. How Much Does iPool2
Cost?
Nothing. It’s
FREE!
2. Who uses iPool2?
Any commuter over age 18 with a regular schedule who lives in Albany,
Rensselaer, Saratoga or Schenectady Counties or works (or goes to school)
in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga or Schenectady Counties is a good candidate for
carpooling or taking the bus to work, even if it is only part-time. iPool2
helps commuters find alternative means of getting to work or school. iPool2
helps you find carpools, bus routes, and park and ride lots to make your commute
easier.
3. What is Carpooling?
- In its simplest form, a carpool is when two or more people drive together in one vehicle to work or school.
- If carpool participants alternate driving, money is not exchanged.
- If one person does all the driving, the carpool passengers contribute for gas and parking.
- The carpool driver may pick up passengers at their homes, or they may meet at a central location like a park and ride lot.
- A carpool can consist of co-workers, neighbors, friends, spouses, family members, roommates, or someone you just met through iPool2. Carpooling doesn't require a commitment of five days a week. It can be once a week, every other week, or whatever works with your schedule. But…carpooling even one day a week saves money and can save wear and tear on your vehicle.
4. How Does iPool2 Help Me form a Carpool?
iPool2 contains a database of people who are interested in forming a carpool.
Each person creates their own private account, identifying their origin,
destination, work or school hours and employer. GreenRide, the software driving
iPool2 identifies carpool matches based on geography, hours of work and carpool
preferences. iPool2 also contains links to
transit alternatives if carpooling doesn’t work for you.
5. How Would I Benefit From Ridesharing?
According to a
2008
AAA report, a commuter who drives by his/herself 25 miles one-way to work
spends about $5,800 per year. This amount includes gas, maintenance, taxes,
depreciation, and finance costs. For each gallon of fuel
consumed, your car pumps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere! You
can save as much as 50 percent of these costs and
emissions by carpooling with just one other person! Even more can be
saved by taking the bus, walking or bicycling to work.
Calculate your own commuting costs.
6. How Do I Get Started?
New to iPool2?—Create
a private account today. Already have an account?—Login
frequently to check for additional matches. Or sign up for
match alerts to have iPool2 contact you when a new match is found. You will
likely find more matches if you choose a park-and-ride lot as your starting
point, are flexible in your work hours or if you are willing to carpool with
someone along your route to work (click on
along the route matching for this feature).
7. What If I Need A Ride Home For An Emergency?
The
iPool2
Guaranteed Ride Home program provides you with a ride home in the event of
an emergency up to six times per year ($200 annual cap, other
restrictions apply). You are eligible for the program even if you didn't
find your carpool partners through iPool2. You are also eligible if you take
the bus, walk or bicycle to work. You must
register for the program on the iPool2 website.
8. How Can an Employer Join iPool2?
Employers can encourage their employees to carpool or take
the bus to work, using iPool2. Employers can
sign up free of charge
for the iPool2 employer module. The employer module allows employers to
create their personalized iPool2 homepage targeted only at their employees,
allows employees to form carpools only with employees from their own company (if
desired) and provides employers a mechanism to track how much fuel and emissions
is saved by company employees using alternative modes to work. Employers
can run raffles and offer pre-tax transit passes to their employees.
8. Need More Information?
Contact us at
questions@ipool2.org or call 518-458-2164.