Company takes carpooling to Tahoe from Bay Area to a new level

Zimride, the largest online ride-sharing service in North America, announced its San Francisco-Lake Tahoe route today, with service beginning Thanksgiving Day.

The idea is to bring Bay Area residents convenient, inexpensive access to the basin. To celebrate the launch, Zimride is giving away a free tank of gas ($40 value) to the first 500 drivers who successfully book a ride along the Tahoe route between Thanksgiving and the end of the year.

Zimride allows drivers to sell the empty seats in their car to passengers who need a ride along popular routes, like San Francisco to Tahoe. As part of their mission, the company facilitates monetary transactions and connects individuals.

Zimride is used by university students and corporations in 30 states. The first public route was launched in August between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The Tahoe route will be Zimride’s ninth public route; all of which are on the West Coast.

“We’ve been looking forward to opening the Lake Tahoe route all fall because we know it will be a popular destination for our Bay Area users — from college students to weekend travelers, skiers to snowboarders,” Logan Green, co-founder and CEO of Zimride, said in a statement. “Tahoe has over 3 million visitors every year, and over 20 percent of the people headed to the South Shore come from the Bay Area. Even more important, nearly 80 percent of North Shore visitors arrive by car. So that’s a lot of potential for Zimriders to save money and gas, while making friends.”

For the drive between San Francisco and Lake Tahoe, Zimride is suggesting $25 per seat, each way. Drivers selling their empty seats, however, can name their price.

Before a rider accepts a seat in a car or a driver accepts a passenger, he or she can view the person’s profile information to ensure he or she is comfortable with the match.