VAN NUYS : 700 Attend Fair on Ride-Sharing

If getting there is half the fun, the other half should be hassle-free.

This was the message delivered Thursday at the third annual Rideshare Fair in Van Nuys. The talk about buses, taxis, trains and bicycles was given to 700 people who work in the San Fernando Valley.

The fair, held on the grounds of the Automobile Club of Southern California, was sponsored by the Van Nuys Transportation Management Assn., which promotes ride-share programs to about 9,000 employees in 30 Valley-based companies.

Vehicles on display included Los Angeles city DASH and RTD buses, Checker Cab and Vanpool vans.

“I think more and more people are becoming aware of ride-sharing and interested in doing it,” said Marcia Mednick, a consultant for the transportation agency.

Mednick cited tight household budgets for the increase in ride-sharing, and that “people are just tired of the hassles of driving.”

Relieving such stress was one reason Nancy Weeden came to the fair. A consultant for the nonprofit Human Powered Transit Assn. in Van Nuys, Weeden said bicycling to work is better for both companies and employees.

“There have been studies done that when people ride their bikes, they come into work less stressed than those who drive,” she said. “They’re also more productive on the job and, because they’re healthier, they miss fewer days to illness.”

Although Mednick said it was too soon to tell how many more people would use ride-share programs as a result of the fair, at least two visitors said they were sold on the idea after sharing a ride to the fair.

“It was fun,” said Theresa Moscotte, 24, of Burbank, who picked up co-worker Paula Griggs in Van Nuys on the way to the fair. “We’re friends. We had coffee. We had a lot to talk about in the morning.”