Although transportation energy consumption still remains an issue, it has led to an increased awareness of global warming and the importance of individual action. Carpooling has become a popular option, as carpool matching websites have made it easier and more appealing, especially for students.

Carpool.ca is a free carpool matching system available in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary and Edmonton. Annie Marie Thornton, executive director, said the number of users is growing every year.

“There are about 9,000 people currently registered, [ . . . ] but historically there have been 40,000 people who have used the program since it started,” she said.

Winnipeg currently has 815 people actively looking for a carpool through the website, and the
University of Manitoba has 260 people. The UMSU Carpool Registry utilizes Carpool.ca to match students at both the Fort Gary and Bannatyne campuses.

Anders Annell, coordinator of U of M’s recycling and environmental group (UMREG) realizes that it’s easy to find reasons not to carpool.

“Timelines, errands and things like that do tend to get in the way [ . . . ]. People — and myself included — make a lot of excuses as to why it would be too difficult.”

However, Annell said that if people are willing to make small sacrifices, carpooling can prove to be highly beneficial. “We’re all headed in the same direction”, he continued. “Any trip that can be shared is eliminating a lot of the negative effects.” Annell said he usually bikes to school or takes the bus.

Thornton emphasized that carpooling is flexible.

“There’s a big misconception out there that people are going to have to find a carpool that works more than five days a week and that it’s a large commitment, but it’s not.” She said the small commitments are just as important. “If everybody carpools once a week, there would be a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and 20 per cent less cars on the road,” said Thornton.

While there are some U of M students who choose to carpool to school, it seems the majority of those with vehicles go solo, usually because of scheduling issues. When it comes to carpool matching websites, students agree that it’s a great initiative. However, few would consider using it themselves.

“I think it’s environmentally wise but personally I wouldn’t want to be paired up with a stranger to carpool somewhere, so I probably wouldn’t use [carpool matching sites],” said Magkie Cheung, a first-year pharmacy student who carpools with her cousin.

Some universities have even taken the steps of developing their own programs. The University of Toronto Mississauga has organized an online “carpool zone” with its own carpool partner-matching system.

Aubrey Iwaniw, environmental project coordinator at the U of T, finds the program extremely useful.

“Carpooling is important because it is shattering the social stigma of sharing, while at the same time benefiting traffic congestion, emissions and finances of drivers and it lowers stress,” she said.

Iwaniw reports that this year, due to the removal of a parking lot, the campus parking office sold out of carpool permits in September — 73 permits in all.

While it is Carpool.ca that is most popular among Canadian universities, its carpool matching system is not unique. ERideShare.com and Carpoolworld.com also offer free ride matching systems in Canada and across the world. Steven Schoeffler, founder and executive director of
ERideshare.com, based in Illinois, has seen a steady increase in users since the application was started in 1999, and an even greater interest in the past few years.

“Last year when the gasoline prices spiked, the traffic on the website between February and July went from 700 visitors per day to 2,800 per day,” he said.

The program is available in the United States, Canada and around the world. Canada has about 3,300 listings in total.

“The ice is melting, the planet is on fire, everyone knows it, nobody cares enough to do anything about it, but carpooling is simple — it reduces green house gas emissions, shaves half of your gas bill and improves social bonds,” he said.

Carpoolworld.com currently has 146 listings from Winnipeg, but is also continuously experiencing rising numbers with a 500 per cent increase in registration between 2003 and 2008.

Schoeffler recommends that, when setting up a carpool on the Internet, users should meet the person before they get into the car with them, exchange contact information and photocopy their identification.

Although Schoeffler recognizes that prudency is important, he has yet to hear of any carpooling horror stories.

“My sense is that the ‘stranger danger’ concern is rampant, [ . . . ] but it’s really blown out of proportion,” he said.

“Most of all, [carpooling] teaches people to share and connect with other people,” said Iwaniw.

“Strangers are just friends you haven’t met yet.”