Carpool to School, Earn Prizes through Club Ride

Can access Club Ride on Apps

By Nathaniel Drake

Students and faculty at College of Southern Nevada can explore ways to be more fuel efficient on their daily commutes with the help of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada’s program Club Ride.

Club Ride is an incentive program that is designed to improve air quality and encourage people to try different fuel-efficient ways of commuting. By recording their daily commutes, participants become eligible to win prizes, such as merchandise and $25 to $50 gift cards.

The RTC suggests several ways to travel efficiently, including: carpooling, in which two or more people share a ride; vanpooling, in which a group of seven to 15 people share a ride in a passenger van; bicycling, walking and using the RTC’s transit buses. By utilizing these methods, people can reduce wear and tear on their vehicles as well as maintenance costs.

“Club Ride saved me from paying $10 for gas every three days,” said Club Ride participant Brittney Watson.

Participants in Club Ride can access useful services. It offers free ride matchmaking, which partners people based on their distance and schedule, and it offers suggestions for places for parking while carpooling. It also offers guaranteed rides home, which reimburses people for rides they may have had to seek out in the event of an emergency.

Despite the rewards for logging rides, not every student is interested in participating in Club Ride. CSN student Dreaux Silvestre said, “I don’t need any additional incentive, like prizes, to carpool with my friends.”

Users can report their commutes in several ways, which include Club Ride’s website or texting on their mobile-phone app for iPhones and Android.

CSN’s partnership with RTC benefits its students, faculty and the environment. RTC also partners with other companies and institutions in Southern Nevada, such as the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, various Clark County offices and major casinos like Caesars Palace and Mandalay Bay. According to the RTC’s website, companies that participate in Club Ride benefit from enhanced corporate image, increased employee morale and reduced absenteeism.

“This fall, 2013, we have taken steps to really promote the program again,” said Georgia Martini, an administrative assistant at CSN’s Henderson campus. “Only a few students have signed up so far. The College is trying to promote Club Ride more.”