ORANGE – The Orange County Transportation Authority is encouraging commuters to give up the solo drive and save time and money by sharing the ride, trying an alternate form of transportation, or working from home, during Rideshare Week 2022, Oct. 3 to 7.

During Rideshare Week, OCTA would like to see commuters “Drive Less, Smile More” by considering alternative options to reach work or other destinations, such as taking OC Bus, a Metrolink train, or going by bike, electric scooter, carpool or vanpool.

“With more people returning to work as the pandemic wanes, we hope they’ll also consider safely sharing the ride to help ease traffic congestion,” said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, also the Mayor of Orange. “We encourage people to look at taking the bus or a train, or sharing the ride with co-workers, which benefits everybody with fewer cars on the road and better air quality for all.”

OCTA joins transportation agencies across the region and the country in promoting the annual Rideshare Week.

Those who go online to www.octa.net/rideshareweek can pledge to share the ride any number of days during the week and can enter for a chance to win fitness-related prizes, such as an Apple Watch SE and AirPods Pro. Prizes are sponsored by Spectrumotion.

A toolkit is also available online for employers interested in promoting Rideshare Week to their employees.

Understanding that some traditional commuters continue during the COVID-19 pandemic to work part-time or exclusively from home, those who telework are also helping take more cars off local roads. So remote workers can pledge too. Online pledges must be made by 11 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 9.

OCTA hopes that people who participate during Rideshare Week and try alternate forms of transportation will discover the lasting benefits and continue sharing the ride throughout the year.

For more information on this and other OCTA services and projects, visit www.octa.net.

About OCTA: The Orange County Transportation Authority is the county transportation planning commission, responsible for funding and implementing transit and capital projects for a balanced and sustainable transportation system that reflects the diverse travel needs of the county’s 34 cities and 3.2 million residents. With the mission of keeping Orange County moving, this includes freeways and express lanes, bus and rail transit, rideshare, commuter rail and active transportation. To sign up for more OCTA news, visit octa.net/GetConnected.