PAY-AND-RIDE CARPOOL: A NEW CONCEPT IN COMMUTER RIDESHARING

The two prevalent carpooling systems--shared driving and shared riding--require that all program participants should have a common origin and destination and common departure and return times. However, in a situation such as that of a university, where the schedules of students change every three months and time they spend at the university is not the same each day of the week, matching the time and origin-destination needs of commuters is almost impossible. A "pay-and-ride" carpool concept proposed for use on the campus of the University of Central Florida is described. In the proposed system, carpool pickup stops would be located along the roads within 1 km of commuters' residences. Riders would wait at these stops and drivers passing by bound for the same destination would pick up the waiting riders after adequate verification of their identify. In such a program, both drivers and riders would belong to the same organization. Riders would pay coupons to the driver as their share of the cost of a one-way ride. Each pickup stop would have a number, and matching pickup stops would be located at the destination point for return travel. The results of opinion surveys conducted in the summer of 1979 and the winter of 1980 at the University of Central Florida concerning the acceptability of such a program are reported. Fifty-nine percent of those interviewed stated that, if such a program were instituted, they would be willing to participate in it. (Author)