Save gas, ride with a friend

Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 2:08 a.m.

People who are alone in their vehicles on their way to and from work may feel a sense of envy if they travel U.S. 95 between Lake Mead Boulevard and the Spaghetti Bowl. The high-occupancy lane is zipping, while they are contending with the slower traffic in the regular lanes.

Or they may feel a tinge of guilt, riding alone when their vehicles could easily be carrying another commuter, or two or three, and be contributing to cleaner air and less congestion.

And they might also think it would be nice to have someone to chat with, or that it would be a relief to share the driving.

Many drivers, however, may be putting these feelings aside, thinking they don’t know anyone going their way and that even if they did, their schedules would not be compatible.

But the Regional Transportation Commission, through its Club Ride program, can put sheer numbers to work for commuters who are willing to give car pooling a try.

About 300 employers across the Las Vegas Valley are cooperating with the program through their human resources departments. They have lists of thousands of commuters who have shared information about themselves with the RTC, such as ZIP codes, e-mail addresses and work schedules.

With this many people to choose from, the odds are good that commuters can find a riding partner. Las Vegas Sun reporter Mike Trask wrote Tuesday of two women who did not know each other five weeks ago. Through Club Ride, they discovered they both work for Henderson. Now they are taking turns driving to work, saving each about $50 a month. In the event one of them has to work late, Club Ride guarantees five free rides home a year.

The service also provides information about bus schedules and about routes for people interested in biking or walking to work.

Club Ride can be contacted through human resources departments, its Web page or by calling 228-7433. We’d like to see more employers and commuters get involved.