As gas prices spike in the Bay Area to over $5 a gallon, some commuters are turning to alternative methods to get to work every day.
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This trend of casual carpoolers – people who hop in cars with complete strangers to save time and money – is once again gaining popularity in the East Bay.
Before Lyft and Uber, casual carpooling was the way a lot of people in the Bay Area got around, although it took a backseat when the pandemic started.
Starting in the 1970s, when there was also a major gas shortage, commuters started hopping into cars with random people to save on bridge tolls and get to work faster by using the carpool lane.
Carpool driver Esteban Macias says he doesn't ask his passengers to chip in for gas. "They help me and I help them," he said.
Riders will sometimes chip in a dollar for the bridge toll, which is only $3.50 for vehicles with three or more people.
There are several pick-up locations throughout the East Bay where casual carpoolers wait in line, usually near BART stations. Each car usually is comprised of at least two riders and one driver. The prime pickup times are carpool lane hours, Monday through Friday, 5:30 am to 10:00 am.
For more information on pick-up locations in the East Bay people can go to sfcasualcarpool.com.
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