Commute Solutions provides encouragement and information to commuters about their travel choices. These include carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, riding the bus, and alternative work arrangements including telecommuting and flex-time. Commute Solutions serves commuters traveling within, into, or out of Santa Cruz County.
Personalized Commute Trip Planning	WALK - BUS - BIKE - POOL Our commute consultants can help you plan a bus trip, find a carpool partner or a seat in a vanpool, identify the best bike route or calculate your commute costs.
Online Ridematching	FIND A CARPOOL OR VANPOOL PARTNER - INSTANTLY Drive or ride, 1 to 5 days, you decide. Commute Solutions provides an instant online ridematching service to help Santa Cruz County commuters find carpool or vanpool partners. Log on 24 hours a day and create a personalized ridematch list of other commuters who share your same route and schedule. See our carpooling guide: "Organizing a Successful Carpool" for tips and key questions to ask potential carpoolers. Ridematching is provided through a partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's 511.org Program. In addition to the Greater Bay Area, the program serves Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties.
	REWARDS FOR NEW CARPOOLERS New carpoolers who have previously been driving alone can receive a $25 gas card in the Ca$h for Carpools promotion. Each time they carpool, it is another entry into the drawing to win free fuel for a year! More information here.
Good Times Special Issue on Commuting	IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION ARTICLE & RESOURCE GUIDE For info on transportation options and tips on "greening" your commute," check out the article and resource guide in the February 4, 2010 issue of Good Times Weekly.
Employer Commute Program Assistance	IMPROVE YOUR EMPLOYEES' COMMUTE TO WORK Contact Commute Solutions for a free Employer Transportation Consultation. We will discuss workplace based commute program options, and help you develop sustainable transportation policies and programs tailored to your business needs.
Pedestrian and Bicycle Support	CREATING A BIKING AND WALKING FRIENDLY COUNTY The RTC and Commute Solutions offer many programs that support bicycling and walking including: subsidies for installing secure bike parking, color coded countywide bike maps and hazard reporting for sidewalks and bike facilities needing attention. The RTC is also a major sponsor of Bike to Work/School event hosted by Ecology Action. See the RTC's Bicycle page for more information.
	PARK AND RIDE LOTS These lots serve as conveniently located pick up points to meet your carpool, vanpool or bus and are free for public use during specified hours. Click here to download a user guide and map of park and ride lot locations.
The True Cost of Driving	LEARN HOW MUCH IT REALLY COSTS TO DRIVE How much does driving really cost you and your community? Commute Solutions' online commute calculator can help you figure out your true cost of driving including driver's direct expenses as well as indirect costs. Simply fill in your daily miles traveled and your actual cost of driving will be calculated instantly. You can also find out more details about the costs of driving. Does driving alone cost more than you think? Cut your costs by sharing a ride with others. Use our free instant online ridematch service to find a carpool partner.
	FIND YOUR SOLUTION TO A BETTER COMMUTE The "Find Your Solution" brochure provides an introduction to alternative commuting. It also is a way to request more information and a free list of potential carpool partners from Commute Solutions.
	RIDESURANCE: YOUR COMMUTER SAFETY NET Commuters who live or work in Santa Cruz County are eligible for RideSurance. RideSurance provides a taxi ride home to commuters that use alternative transportation, and have an emergency. For a low annual fee, RideSurance members have the assurance that they will be able to get home quickly and safely to respond to an emergency, and the confidence to continue their alternative commute. The RideSurance program is operated by Ecology Action.
	TAKE THE BUS OVER THE HILL HWY17 EXPRESS BUS Most trips of the Santa Cruz Metro Transit District's Highway 17 Express bus start in downtown Santa Cruz from the Metro Center and end at Cahill St. Station in San Jose. Service runs every day, including holidays. The Highway 17 Express services the Metro Center nearly every trip. Single ride fare is $4. For more information and schedules for the 17 Express and other routes, visit Santa Cruz Metro's website.

Ways to Get Around
Carpooling	Get a FREE customized matchlist of other commuters going to your same work or school location. Carpool everyday or just once a week - it's up to you. Commute Solutions is linked with San Francisco/San Jose Bay Area and can assist commuters traveling into or out of Santa Cruz County. Complete a matchlist request to get a list of other commuters who share a similar commute or call 831/429-POOL. If you live and work outside of Santa Cruz County, check out the Rideshare Program for Bay Area Commuters, Commute Alternatives for Monterey County Commuters or San Benito Rideshare for San Benito County. Want to carpool, but don't know where to meet? Check out our online map to see where free, public park and ride lots are located.
Vanpooling	Join an existing vanpool or start a new one. Commute Solutions can help you discover one of the most relaxing commute modes around. Vanpools may be leased, employer-owned, or commuter owned. Information on joining a vanpool or starting a new vanpool is available by sending us an email or calling 831/429-POOL.
Bus and Public Transit	Using the bus is relaxing, reliable and a bargain. Whether you are riding the bus over Highway 17 or within Santa Cruz County, you'll find you can read, sleep or day dream instead of driving alone and fighting traffic and weather and paying high gasoline and maintenance costs. Be ready for your day - ride the bus. For schedule and ticket information visit Santa Cruz Metro's website. If you are traveling out of the area check the following sites: Monterey Salinas Transit Santa Clara County Valley Transit Authority Caltrain AMTRAK Also, look at this local guide to riding the bus.
Bicycling	Get a FREE bike map and try bicycling to work or to your carpool, vanpool or transit pick up point. Take a look at the Regional Transportation Commission's bike page. Or learn more about the spring and fall Bike Week events. Bicyclists who encounter a cycling hazard may submit a Bicycle Hazard Report. You can also apply for a discount on Folding Bikes, which can be carried aboard local buses.
Walking	Walking is a free and healthy way to get where you want to go. Take the time to appreciate your commute by traveling on foot, and improve your health as you do it! If you encounter problems in your walking commute, please take the time to fill out a Pedestrian Access Report to alert us to any pedestrian problems or hazards.
Telecommuting and Alternate Work Hours	More and more companies are open to allowing their employees to work one or two days from home, or stagger work schedules to avoid peak traffic periods. Telecommuting and alternate work hours allow greater flexibility for employees with families, as well as reducing emissions and highway traffic. If you would like to know more, please email us to receive information.
Don't Drive One in Five	Don't Drive One in Five, the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission's outreach and advertising campaign, was launched in 2003 to encourage county residents to use alternative transportation modes such as walking, bicycling, taking the bus, carpooling, vanpooling or telecommuting at least one day a week. FREE: "DON'T DRIVE ONE IN FIVE" POSTERS ARE STILL AVAILABLE FOR USE AT WORKPLACES AND IN CLASSROOMS ENGLISH             SPANISH

To take advantage of any Commute Solutions services, or for help planning your commute, please call 831/429-POOL - or email us.

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Commute Solutions is a program of the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission. For more information about other Commission activities, programs or projects, please visit the SCCRTC website