Is the price of gasoline getting you down?

Are you resolved to be a better steward of the environment?

Perhaps you yearn for company on your way to work?

Mary Beth Kim of the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission wants to talk to you.

Ms. Kim and her agency, which prioritizes the transportation needs of the 10 counties surrounding Pittsburgh, are launching a push for a ride-sharing program offered by the commission. And while it's beginning in southern Butler County and northern Allegheny County, it soon could spread throughout the region.

The crux of the effort is to ask commuters to take a fresh look at carpooling.

"This is something that can work for a lot of people," said Ms. Kim, the ride-sharing coordinator for the commission, which covers Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington and Westmoreland counties.

The program uses the commission's CommuteInfo commuter program. Not unlike a computer dating service, the program looks for commonalities among participants from the 10 counties, such as destinations and work hours, and matches potential carpool participants.

While the commission has been promoting ride sharing for three decades, the technology of the computer program has been employed for only a handful of years. About 3,000 people are in the database, Ms. Kim said, and there's lots of room for growth.

That's the impetus behind a renewed push for the program that is centered on outreach: bringing the commission to outlying areas in the form of a weekly, consistent presence by Ms. Kim.

Since Feb. 18, she has been available from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each Wednesday in the Cranberry Municipal Center on Rochester Road to answer questions and take data from commuters and businesses who want to be a part of the commuter networking system. No end date has been set for her visits to Cranberry. Appointments are requested.

Passersby have shown interest, she said, and she has been able to answer questions from the Cranberry library and chamber of commerce. Both groups have offices in the municipal center.

Cranberry's municipal website has a link to the ride-sharing program.

"We've already seen [more than 40] hits to the website," Ms. Kim said.

The trial outreach is likely to be duplicated in other regions, depending on the success of this first one, she said.

The Cranberry area was picked for the first go-round because it is a booming population center and a growing employment hub, she noted.

Cranberry Manager Jerry Andree said the township is "very happy" to partner with the commission on ride-sharing. "Ride sharing has been identified in our [long-range] comprehensive plan as a priority," he said.

He cited the benefits of ride sharing that promote sustainability for the community: Residents save money by carpooling; the community benefits by decreased traffic congestion and less road wear; and decreased gasoline emissions is good for the environment.

Individuals who want to find a car or van pool that fits their schedules and destinations can complete an online profile linked from the township's website, www.cranberrytownship.org/commuting. They also may meet with Ms. Kim.

Individuals who are potentially "matched" by the computer receive a letter with the contact information the participant provides. That information also may be shared with a van pool leasing company for the purpose of forming a van pool. Some information involves where a commuter would meet the pool vehicle, the flexibility of pickup times, whether music or radio broadcasts would normally be played during the commute, whether eating or drinking would be permitted, whether driving responsibilities would be shared and whether a there is a backup plan for an emergency.

A cost-calculator will identify the money that can be saved by carpooling, Ms. Kim said.

While the data base includes people from throughout the 10-county region, most participants ask to be matched with people within 10 to 20 miles of where they live, Ms. Kim noted.

All participants are responsible for the operation of their own carpools or van pools, but CommuteInfo funds an "emergency ride home service" by taxi as a safety net for commuters in the event of an unexpected personal emergency, illness or unscheduled overtime.

For information, call 1-888-819-6110.

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