UF is encouraging students to carpool for Spring Break.
In an email sent out Tuesday, UF encouraged students to use Zimride, a website that allows students to anonymously ask for rides. Zimride users who post a ride or commute before March 13 will be entered into a drawing to win one of two $50 prepaid MasterCard gift cards.
Students can search for rides to a destination or offer to give them, said Ron Fuller, the assistant director of UF Transportation and Parking Services.
Carpooling reduces pollution and saves money, Fuller said. Unlike the UF Ride Board, a Facebook group in which students offer and request rides, Zimride also lets students find rides to campus every day.
“Any time that we can reduce the number of single-occupancy cars that are coming to campus it’s beneficial for all of us,” he said.
He said Zimride is a safer way to carpool because students must enter their GatorLink information before seeing who is offering rides from UF.
Students offering rides are notified that someone is interested without being able to access information about where they live, he said. Once the students being messaging, they can exchange information.
“Zimride is kind of a blind email,” he said.
Jacqueline Chung, a UF statistics junior, said she would consider using Zimride in the future.
“I think it would decrease a lot of the safety concerns,” the 20-year-old said.
She says she sometimes uses Facebook to offer rides when she has room in her car and wants extra money.
“Sometimes just a little bit helps,” she said.
Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @k_newberg.
