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This Month

SANDAG newsletter provides information on key projects
& services
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511 connects commuters to traffic, transit, and travel info
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Get in high gear with
new bike map rule
RideLink.
Your passport to freedom.
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SchoolPool - the educated
way to get to school rule
Count on the SANDAG
Service Bureau for your
next research project
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Public safety spending up rule
SANDAG receives $450,000 from California Energy Commission
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SANDAG Board Actions available online
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   the rEgion
 

RideLink. Your passport to freedom. RideLink

Freedom from traffic. Freedom from high gas prices. Freedom from hassle.

Spread the word  
Open the door and RideLink will come in and assist you!  We’ll give you the communication tools as a FREE service provided by SANDAG. Your RideLink account executive will provide all of the information needed to help everyone understand their commute options which include: carpool, vanpool, SchoolPool, bike to work, telework, or other transit alternatives. Take a voyage over to www.ridelink.org for more information or dial 511 and ask for RideLink when prompted today!

All aboard on transit
Catch the bus, trolley, or train to work. RideLink can connect you to transit savings for you and your colleagues. The new Compass Card (coming in fall 2007) will make it easier than ever to use a monthly transit pass or for businesses to connect employees to transit.

Carpooling Partner Matching 
Share the trip! Carpooling is a great flexible choice for those who do not need their car at work everyday. The journey begins by finding someone to carpool with. RideLink will help match you with other commuters who live and work near you. The best part: cut fuel and parking costs by sharing the ride!

Regional vanpool program
Enjoy the open road by forming a vanpool! It’s a comfortable, reasonably priced, and convenient way for groups of people to share the ride. RideLink will help you get started by providing a list of people to vanpool with, and in some cases, SANDAG will help pay the bill. That’s money back in your pocket and cars off the road.

SchoolPool 
Team up with families in your neighborhood who are participating in the SchoolPool program and share a trip to school via carpooling, biking, or walking. When students have a partner they can rely on, their school attendance and timeliness improve. Commuting is more fun together! 

Bike to Work 
With more than 1,000 miles of bikeways in the San Diego region, bicycling is an excellent alternative to driving. It gets you out of the daily traffic grind and on the path to a healthier, less stressful commute. Visit RideLink.org to view an online version of the Bike Map or order a free copy of the new bike map to take along on your commute.

Guaranteed Ride Home Program 
Are you reluctant to use commute alternatives because you might be stranded if you have to stay late or need to get home in a hurry? The Guaranteed Ride Home program will provide a taxi or rental car (depending on the distance between work and home) for those times when you have to work overtime or have an emergency. Just call 511 (say RideLink when prompted) and register!

Flextime and Teleworking 
RideLink can assist you in setting up alternative hours so that you avoid rush hour driving. Check out our free consulting services to set up and administer a telework program.

Corporate Tax Benefits
Under the Transportation Equity Act and IRS code 132(f) employers can offer employees who ride in a vanpool or use public transit a $100 monthly benefit in the form of a subsidy, pre-tax option, or a combination of both. Offering this benefit is easier than you might expect! There is no written plan required and the company can enjoy a tax savings while providing an additional benefit at little or no cost.

ECO Pass
The ECO Pass program provides employers a way to offer an attractive, low-cost employee public transit option on selected services. Many local companies do this to reduce the demand for parking. Employers can pre-purchase a minimum of 25 transit passes per month for qualified employees and pay one low cost.

Project Manager:
Thomas Bruccoleri, Senior Regional Planner
tbr@sandag.org, (619) 699-7381