April 25, 2006

Governor promotes carpooling through new Web site
New service allows employees to find carpooling partners

With gas prices reaching near record levels, Governor Kathleen Sebelius today gave state employees a way to conserve fuel by making carpooling easier.

“The recent spike in gas prices is pinching pocketbooks of families and businesses in Kansas and across the country. Unfortunately, we’re not seeing relief from the national level so we have to take steps here at home,” Governor Sebelius said.

“We can keep in mind alternative fuels, like E10 and E85 ethanol, which use less gasoline, and help Kansas farmers,” the Governor continued. “One of the best ways to conserve fuel is by organizing a carpool, which is why we’ve created a carpool matching service for state employees.”

The Car Pool Ride Matching Service (CPRMS) can be found at www.da.ks.gov/cprms/.

Users are asked to indicate their preference to join a carpool as a driver or rider. Then, the user can see a list of commuters who live in the area and have similar work destinations, and who are interested in ridesharing.

Although it only takes two people to form a carpool, increasing the number of passengers will reduce overall commuting costs.

“We’ve implemented this at the state level and I urge Kansas businesses to consider ways within the workplace of providing similar information to their employees. It’s a simple idea that could help many Kansans cut their fuel costs,” said Sebelius.