Bay Area's Casual Carpool to relaunch after coming to a halt during pandemic
Main organizer Camille Bermudez is determined to bring it back.
"The ease of it, the flexibility of it and honestly, the cost effectiveness of it," said Bermudez about why she feels it would benefit people.
Bermudez's first experience with Casual Carpool was as a teenager, but it started long before she ever got in line.
"Thirty-five plus years ago about," Bermudez said about just how long ago it launched for the first time. "Maybe even longer, which is great."
Bermudez felt this was the perfect time to bring it back, as more companies are requiring people to return to the office.
She has to be back in the office five days a week starting September 1st.
She decided to reach out to people online to see what others thought of the idea.
"We started back on June 8, starting with a survey and really using social media to get the word out there," Bermudez explained.
Through the responses, she found a location in the Grand Lake neighborhood, in a parking lot near the corner of Lake Park Avenue and Lakeshore Avenue, was where people most wanted to use the service.
After Tuesday, it will run Monday-Friday during carpool hours, 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The system is simple: drivers stop by, pick up the first two people in line, enough to qualify for discounted tolls, and take the Bay Bridge into San Francisco. Passengers will be dropped off at the 400 block of Howard Street.
"Drivers get the benefit of shorter commute," detailed Bermudez about how they can use the carpool lane. "Flexible timing as far as when they leave their home, as well as we do encourage a monetary contribution for the drivers to kind of help with that expense of the toll."
Bermudez says she used to use the system as both a driver and a passenger, and she's always had a positive experience.
"I actually ended up meeting an alumni from my high school, so Saint Ignatius," said Bermudez. "I met someone in the car and we had started talking, things ike, 'are you from the bay area, are you a native?' and they ended up saying 'oh I went to SI' and I lit up."
Some other people have made friends, or even more significant relationships.
"Very excitedly, we do have somebody who got married through Casual Carpool," said Bermudez. "They are still together."
But she says most rides are uneventful, quiet, and easy way to get into the city.
She's hopeful that after launching with this one stop, they'll be able to expand to the 20+ locations that used to exist pre-pandemic.
"Just really excited to see this coming back and then once we have this location up and running the plan is to get the Sacramento Street and 64th and Christie Avenue in Emeryville up and running within a month," Bermudez explained. "The plan is to get all 20 back by August of 2026."
More info can be found here: SF Casual Carpool
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