In the summer of 2003, a major portion of the Northeastern and Midwestern United States along with Ontario, Canada experienced the largest blackout in North American history.  It affected over 50 million people and financial loses were estimated at $6 billion USD.  Mass transit (trains, buses, ferries) came to a standstill and millions of people were stranded without a way to get home.  Many began walking and crossing the bridges out of New York City on foot.  It was a strange occurrence and created massive confusion, but something very interesting happened.  Anyone who had transportation (car, van, truck) became a makeshift bus.  You could see flatbed trucks with dozens of people jumping aboard to get a ride out of the city.

While this was an extreme situation, is raises the question why can’t we better harness the power of over 250 million vehicles in the United States?  The majority of drivers make their daily commute alone in a car.  If people would share rides, it could dramatically reduce traffic, slow global warming and lessen our dependence of foreign oil. 

Everyone could keep their own car, but just use it less.  Think of it as turning your personal vehicle into a passenger vehicle.