Flagstaff residents to share in new ride sharing pilot

Flagstaff residents will soon have the opportunity to benefit from a new pilot program that started in Camrose called Camrose Carpool, and is extending to the Flagstaff Region.

Lynne Jenkinson, Executive Director at Flagstaff Family and Community Services (FFCS) says she was recently contacted by Camrose Carpool coordinator Nicole Boullione because of the success of the Care-A-Van program, and used that conversation as an opportunity to see if a partnership might be beneficial to Flagstaff residents.

“Their users will do most of their carpooling matchups online,” says Jenkinson, “but here in Flagstaff, we will handle the matching of drivers and passengers at FFCS in Killam.”

She says she feels like that gives participants more privacy.

However, the Care-A-Van project will take advantage of Camrose Carpooling’s offer to host a schedule of availability on their site, to make it easy to find and see at a glance what dates the vehicle is available.

“We have been wanting to set up a ride sharing on the Care-A-Van as well,” she says, adding that it’s not always easy to get the timing right for appointments and destinations, and sometimes patients just don’t feel well enough to want someone else along.

The new carpool service won’t have any requirements other than a desire to share a trip someone’s already making, and may be an opportunity for others to get somewhere they need to go.