Are the costs of commuting driving you to distraction? Are you fed up with commuting, gridlock and rising gas prices? If you answered yes, then why not consider joining a carpool?
Last year, Smart Commute – North Toronto, Vaughan and York University launched Carpool Zone – a carpool ride-matching system. 
Carpool Zone is an easy-to-use, innovative tool that offers ride-matching in the Greater Toronto Area.
This week is Carpool Week at York University and to celebrate, the intrepid crew at Smart Commute – North Toronto, Vaughan will be available at an information booth, located outside the William Small Centre on York’s Keele campus, to answer your questions about carpooling to York. The booth will be open daily, from 10am to 2pm, Sept. 3 to 5.
Visitors will have a chance to learn more about how the Carpool Zone tool works and to sign up for online ride-matching with Carpool Zone. There will also be a chance to win some great prizes. If you can’t make it to the booth, sign up online at York University Carpool Zone anytime during the week of Sept. 1 to also be eligible for exciting prizes!
Registering for Carpool Zone is easy and includes many features:
- An online tutorial guides you through the process of registering your route and communicating with potential matches.
- The matching system looks for potential carpool matches along your route in addition to near your starting point.
- Starting points can be either your home or one of the provincially operated carpool lots.
- You can customize preferences to control the distance you will travel away from your route to pick up a carpool partner.
- You can select your preferred route (e.g. detours to avoid traffic or drop children at daycare) rather than taking the computer’s choice of route.
- It protects your privacy in that no other user can see your profile or find your e-mail address unless you give them permission.
- You can access valuable tips for carpooling etiquette and best practices.
- You can confidently carpool with people from your workplace.
- Over 5,500 registered users increase your chances of finding a suitable carpool match, with more potential matches registering every day.
Instructions to register on Carpool Zone
If you are not currently registered for carpooling, visit the Smart Commute – North Toronto, Vaughan Web site, select the York University Carpool Zone and register as a new user.
If you are currently carpooling, visit the Smart Commute – North Toronto, Vaughan Web site, select the York University Carpool Zone and register as a new user. By registering your trip in Carpool Zone you may find interested riders to fill up that third, fourth, or fifth seat in your vehicle that is currently empty. In addition, by registering you will help Smart Commute NTV to track the success of the Carpool Zone service in reducing traffic congestion and helping to combat climate change.