Ridesharing Saves Energy and Saves Money
The Energy, Weatherization and Technology (EWT) Division encourages and promotes ridesharing. Car-pooling and van-pooling save consumers money, time and stress. With the higher cost of gasoline, consumers can save a significant amount of money by sharing the ride.
Ridesharing saves money - the American Automobile Association (AAA) estimates that a daily 41-mile commute in a four-cylinder vehicle costs up to $6,309 per year, or 42.1 cents per mile
Ridesharing saves time - the time normally spent driving can be spent reading or preparing for work
Ridesharing reduces stress - relax while someone else drives
Ridesharing benefits the environment - air pollution is reduced due to less car exhaust emissions 
For additional information about ridesharing in Alabama click on the links below:
Alabama Partners for Clean Air
http://www.alabamacleanair.com/
Birmingham Metropolitan Planning Organization CommuteSmart www.commutesmartrideshare.com
Free Park & Ride lots are available for commuters traveling into Birmingham on I-65 from the north and the south. For more information on free Park & Ride lots, click on this link: www.commutesmart.org/parknride.html
Also available in Alabama are rural transit agencies that provide transportation services for rural residents, such as transporting senior citizens to medical appointments and transporting workers to jobs in areas where there is no mass transportation. For more information on rural transit in Alabama contact:
Bureau of Multimodal Transportation, Alabama Department of Transportation
www.dot.state.al.us or phone (334) 353-6401.
For more information on ridesharing contact:
Clarence Mann
Energy, Weatherization and Technology Division
Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs
P.O. Box 5690
Montgomery, AL 36103-5690
(334) 242-5330 voice (334) 242-0552 fax
clarence.mann@adeca.alabama.gov