"Casual carpooling," an informal system involving commuting with complete strangers, has taken off in the Bay Area. Passengers and drivers cite money, time, and the environment for its success.
"Perhaps most striking about San Francisco's casual carpooling is that it is completely unregulated and without official oversight-it is in no way affiliated with the local government or transit authorities. But they're certainly aware of it; the scale of casual carpool is enormous, and its impact is significant.
Despite their loss in revenue, MTC transit authorities regard the practice as positive. It eases transportation stresses, creates significant travel time savings, dramatically reduces traffic, and contributes to the 'more efficient use of an already established and trafficked infrastructure.' As Rentschler says, "The single largest transport resource not just in the Bay Area, but in the entire country, are the empty seats in everyone's car." This resource often simply goes to waste."
FULL STORY: Carpooling Quietly Booms in San Francisco

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont