Road transportation is responsible for 46 per cent of the average Canadian’s greenhouse gas emissions. The average yearly cost of operating a vehicle can be as high as $8,600 a year or $23 a day. Traveling together and sharing the movement of goods not only saves money and is more environmentally sound, but can help your neighbors and possibly connect you with new friends.
Kootenay Rideshare has become a community institution for informal carpools and one-time trips. The program is administered by the West Kootenay EcoSociety as a means to reduce greenhouse gasses and single passenger vehicle trips.
With Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives grants from New Denver and Silverton, the North Slocan’s Healthy Community Society teamed up with the West Kootenay EcoSociety to enhance the Kootenay Rideshare website. The improvements have made the site more user friendly and it has some specific elements to help users who reside outside of Nelson. New features include the transport of goods, maps, and a filter to eliminate inapplicable rides. It is no longer necessary to read through the long list of people going everywhere.
“These improvements will make the site easier to use, and I hope they will help people find rides all over the region and the province,” said EcoSociety’s David Reid. “We are hoping for another round of improvements to improve access on the fly for smart phone users, and to promote the site so it sees even more use.”
The site is at kootenayrideshare.com.