NewVA Moves

Rideshare Resources

RIDE Solutions is your best resource in the region for ridematching, commuter assistance, incentives and events.  But not everyone who is interested in finding a carpool match is using RIDE Solutions, and we can't always meet every commuter's needs.  Luckily, there are other resources - some local, some national - that might be able to help:

Craigslist:  The free classified service now has a presence in both Roanoke and Blacksburg.  The sites offer a rideshare section where requests can be posted; for the most part, the trips are long distance, some one-way, often trips home for students or trips to DC.  Both sites are pretty new to the region (the Roanoke site arrived around the middle of 2006, with Blacksburg soon after) so traffic to the sites and awareness of them is still growing.  And, since they're free, it doesn't hurt to try.  I'm awaiting a response from the Craigslist staff to see if RIDE Solutions can posts requests for rides when we are unable to locate a match; serving as a liaison between Craigslist and commuters would be another service we could provide.  Be warned that Craigslist is a free and open forum with little moderation; language can get salty in some sections of the site.

RIDE Solutions Rideshare Board:  Our own rideshare board, located in the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission's forums, can be used in addition to or instead of the Craigslist board.  Very few rides have been posted so far, though the topic has been widely browsed, so clearly people are looking here.

GoLoco:  This Facebook application uses the site's social networking technology to connect commuters.  It is installed as easily as any other Facebook app, and is particularly popular among college students.

NuRide:  NuRide is a national program that actually offers you rewards for connecting in carpools and logging your trips.  It is set-up primarily to handle one-time trips, so finding a regular work commute partner may be a bit difficult.  If you work an odd schedule or are only looking for a temporary or one-day-a-week partner, this might be a good option.

eRideShare:  This national service uses a similar matching algorithm to the one RIDE Solutions does, though there is no human intervention to run corridor matches and seek out other possibilities.  The number of registered users in the NewVa area is minimal, but there, and as with any of these free sites it doesn't hurt to register.

Are there others you have used with which you've found success?  Note them in the comments and we'll include them on the RIDE Solutions site and in future blog posts.

UPDATE:  I forgot to mention one of the newest players, Greenride, another national service that concentrates on the environmental impact of ridesharing.  As of this posting, though, the site seems to be down.