InFocus Magazine

Oh, no, not another global warming article!  Must we, yet again, read the depressing statistics and dire predictions about the future of the earth?  Must we, yet again, feel our grey cloak of guilt get heavier?  Must we again consider that, in order to be good enviro-citizens, we need to give up the things we love and rely on?

Well, actually, no.  Not really.  

To balance out the frightening facts, grim outlook and often uncomfortable sense of responsibility, it’s nice to know that there are other stories—stories of refreshingly simple, and yet meaningful, things that people, working together, can do to make a difference.  

The story of Island RideShare is one of these.  

Island RideShare is the Comox Valley manifestation of a North American movement that uses the Internet to facilitate carpooling.  Begun as a Denman Island initiative, it has since grown to include Hornby Island and, with the help of a grant from the EcoAction Program of Environment Canada, is in the process of expansion.  When it re-launches in January, the Island RideShare site will be designed for easy use for people anywhere in BC.  

It’s simple to use: go to the site at www.islandrideshare.com, read the brief guidelines under Using RideShare and then, with one click, you can either look at a list of rides offered, or post your own ride for other participants to choose from.  

If you find the ride or riders you want, you contact them directly and take it from there.  The website offers suggestions for the negotiations.  Typically, the driver picks up the rider or riders at a designated spot.  Usually, the riders contribute to the costs of gas and vehicle wear-and-tear, although this is entirely up to the participants to work out.  Sometimes, the riders will share driving.  Participants are encouraged to share information ahead of time about music likes and dislikes, smoking or not, and whether it’s okay to make stops for errands.  

The website can be used to organize regular commuting or occasional rides.

Ride sharing eases traffic, saves people money, enhances community, and promotes environmentally responsible thinking, says Herb Jones, the Denman Islander who instigated the local initiative.   

“The project was motivated by global warming,” says Jones.   “Also, we were inspired by the wisdom of using fewer resources to do what we need to do.  We hope to change the mindset of fellow islanders so that this sort of thing would become popular.”

Changing mindsets is a slow business, so it was a good thing that a fair number of Denman Islanders took to the idea right away.  Carol Freeman is one of those.  Ride sharing is nothing new for her, but with the website, it has become far easier, she says.  

“When we have people who come to visit, we often try to find rides for them across the [Denman] ferry,” she says.  But anything more ambitious used to be very difficult.  “For instance, our grandson was coming across on the long weekend and tried to find a ride on the big ferry but people had full cars or didn’t want to.  It was impossible.  So it’s much better to be able to organize it on the net ahead of time.”  

She and her husband post offers of rides on the Island RideShare site whenever they travel to Vancouver or Victoria.  Their main motivation is environmental—they drive a hybrid car but still welcome ways to reduce their carbon footprint.   As well, there are social benefits to ridesharing, says Freeman, especially with our aging population.  

“As you get older it’s a great way for people to remain mobile and get around.  For instance, our neighbor lost her eyesight; this would be a way for her to get to Courtenay.”

deNeen Baldwin, another RideShare user, says she appreciates the help with her travelling costs.  As well, she enjoys connecting with other people.  For instance, the last person she gave a ride to had a specialized skill she needed for her business.  “You can make connections,” she says.

Sharing rides can make trips easier and faster, she points out.  “I went to Vancouver last week with a friend, and we were driving in the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lane.  There were hundreds of people next to us just sitting there, stuck in traffic, alone in their cars, and we were whizzing by.  And of course, the main thing is it’s good for the planet.” 

Jones got the idea to start a local RideShare when his daughter, who lives in Nelson, used a ride-sharing network from that community to get home after visiting him.   

“It was great.  She went onto the website and found a woman going from Victoria to Nelson.  The woman was willing to meet her at Departure Bay.  On the way, she stopped in Surrey and picked up another passenger.  My daughter shared the driving.  They paid $40 each and were driven to their door.  The driver got her expenses paid.  That made me think it was something worth trying here,” says Jones.  

“People have always carpooled, but the internet makes this so much easier.”

Jones took his idea to a group called Renewable Energy Denman Island (REDI), which he helped found two years ago, along with other activists wanting to promote strategies for reducing our carbon footprint.  Since its inception, REDI has presented workshops on renewable energy, sponsored an eco-tour of Denman homes that use renewable energy sources, and is sponsoring solar panels for the Denman Community Hall as a demonstration project.  RideShare was a natural next step for the organization.