A carpooling service for Northeast Ohio called OhioRideShare says it’s as easy as “Point, Click, Ride!” With rising gas prices and global warming, it’s becoming more important to find alternatives to traditional travel. OhioRideShare’s online service enables people in 13 counties to find partners for carpooling. This service has many advantages including providing a safe, convenient way to find rides, save money and decrease air pollution.

A common question that arises with services such as this is: How safe is it? Users have the ability to decide what personal information other users can see. Kathy Zook, Senior Manager of Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, recommends users to meet their carpooling partners at a public place like a gas station or coffee shop to get to know them first.

OhioRideShare makes their service accessible to people with disabilities as well as people without an Internet connection. If you’re not an Internet user, you can call 1-800-825-RIDE and become registered in the program.

As an OhioRideShare user, Zook has found the service to be “very beneficial and also very flexible.” The program enabled Zook’s household to decrease its consumption of gasoline by half. On the website, users can calculate how much they are saving as well as how they are contributing to decreasing air emissions. It’s also something to consider during the winter months when driving becomes more stressful in the harsh weather.

Another plus to this service is that if your partner has an emergency and cannot pick you up, OhioRideShare guarantees your ride home. As long as the user commutes at least three days a week with the program and the driver has a qualifying emergency (unscheduled overtime, sick family member, etc.), the stranded riders travel home will be reimbursed at a maximum of four times a year and up to $60.

Zook says that with OhioRideShare, “You can save money, help save the environment and reduce the amount of congestion.” So, if you live in Ohio or have a similar program in your area, you should give it a try and see if it makes a difference in your life.