Posted on May 8: A match made at McMaster

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/carpooling_weibe_taylor_opt.jpg” caption=”Taylor, Wiebe, Boles”]A year and a half ago, Patti Wiebe crossed her fingers and sent an e-mail into McMaster cyberspace. She was looking for a carpool partner.

An employee at McMaster for 21 years, Wiebe was moving from Hamilton to Beamsville. Anticipating an increase in the cost of her commute — both in economic terms and to her mental health — she decided to find someone with whom to share the ride.

Lynne Taylor was one of three people to respond to Wiebe's electronic invitation, and the lucky respondent chosen to be her partner. “I was a bit hesitant at first,” Taylor admitted, “because I'd never done anything like this before.” She was used to having the freedom and security of her own vehicle on campus, and the flexibility to run errands after work.

Eighteen months into the relationship, however, Taylor states with confidence: “It's worked out really well.”

Wiebe and Taylor's carpooling routine is to meet in a Beamsville parking lot near the QEW where, with the owner's permission, one of them leaves their car for the day. “It would take longer to do pick-ups at home,” explained Wiebe. “And this way we can run errands before we head home.”

On May 1, Wiebe and Taylor became the first members of the McMaster community to register under Parking & Transit's newly created carpool program.

In exchange for handing in their regular parking permits, they received one new zone 2 carpool permit, $15 in free gas coupons, a $10 Blue Line taxi voucher (in case of an emergency when their vehicle is not on campus) and two complementary central campus parking vouchers for days when they both require a vehicle at McMaster.

After more than a year of unofficial carpooling, why would they register now? Parking & Transit splits the cost of the permit between members of the carpool, a fact that was attractive to both Wiebe and Taylor. Wiebe is keen to try out the preferred parking spaces that will be reserved for carpool-permit holders, four of which will be right outside her building. For Taylor, however, the clincher was access to a zone 2 permit. “Patti was here for almost 20 years before she got her zone 2 permit,” Taylor laughed. “I've been here for 13 and, thinking my day would never come, didn't even bother to go on a waiting list.”

“Patti's and Lynne's story is pretty inspiring,” acknowledged ACT Office (Alternative Commuting & Transportation) co-ordinator Jennifer Dawson. “They were carpooling long before the University offered incentives to do so. And it's so encouraging to hear about their positive experience. Carpooling, for them, has moved beyond saving money and the environment. It's become synonymous with friendship and learning more about different aspects of McMaster through a fellow employee. I'm so glad they were the first to register.”

“I hadn't really given carpooling much thought,” Taylor recalled. “But I can honestly say I've made a friend.” With an impish smile she added, “and getting that zone 2 parking permit is, well, it's like getting your gold watch early.”

McMaster faculty, staff and graduate students interested in learning more about carpooling to McMaster can visit the ACT Office Web site at http://ACT.mcmaster.ca.

Photo caption: Lynne Taylor, left, administrative assistant, vice-president administration, and Patti Wiebe, administrative assistant, Faculty of Business, pick up their zone 2 carpool permit from Wendy Boles, customer service, Parking & Transit Services.