There are a ton of resources available online to help you find what you need to make your commute to and from work as painless as possible. According weather reports to hook-ups for carpool Guides, there is something for almost every city in the country with a population of over 50,000.
Local Community Transit
If there is a local network in your city – buses, trains, subways – then there is a website of this system. On the home page you will find updates on where the lines are under construction, route and schedules may be changed as well as information on meetings of the city which you can express your opinion on the possible changes, and announcements about when the lines are behind schedule.
Some sites have online real-time system. They allow you to choose the line, direction and stop and it will tell you within minutes when the next bus or train will be there. San Francisco MUNI system, for example, offers this option for 7 of its lines. It updates itself automatically and you can even see small red dots that represent bus making its way to your stop.
Carpool Resources
Almost all size cities craigslist has a dedicated website this task and on this site you can find a section where carpoolers could meet. Whether you are looking for a ride or for someone to share the cost of gas, you will find it here.
Many communities have a ton of other sites for the same purpose, and there are national sites that respond to various regions. For example, eRideShare.com is a free site dedicated to carpoolers in the United States and Canada who commute, are research a long distance trip, or a short local trip.
If you are a college student or college, you may find carpool resources on campus or on campus Web sites.
Route Finders and Accident Reports
Whether you ride a bike or drive a car, find the best route to your destination is critical to make the trip a success. If there is a traffic trap on Highway 2 outputs before the output you need, your trip can take three or four times longer than usual. If you ride a bike, the hills may be the death of you. If there is a flatter route to your destination, you would not know about this?
You can find sites that meet each of these issues in different cities and regions across the country. Traffic.com, for example, is a free service where you can find the latest news on accidents and traffic conditions in your city via phone, PDA or email. They serve about 30 or so cities across the country. Members enrolled in obtaining premium services.
For those a little more environmentally conscious – or seen the economically conscious gas prices these days – there Bike Metro http://www.bikemetro.com. Enter your address of origin and your destination address and they will tell you the flattest to get there. Or if you're more interested in a little sight seeing, you can choose a point of interest and they will give you the route.
No matter what your question about your trip there a website online somewhere for you. Simply enter your problem (eg "car pool resources," "accident reports") and your city a search engine and you have a resource list of suburbs to choose from.
Madison Lockwood is a customer relations associate for ApolloHosting.com. She brings years of experience as a small business consultant to helping prospective clients understand the ways in which a website may benefit them both personally and professionally. Apollo Hosting provides website hosting [http://www.apollohosting.com], ecommerce hosting [http://www.apollohosting.com/e-commerce], vps hosting, and web design services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides itself on the highest levels of customer support.
Carpoolers: Episode 1
