Make a friend, save on gas with carpool

Lily Yang drives at least a half hour from her Raleigh home to her job at Research Triangle Park. Much like everybody else, gas prices are hitting Yang's budget hard.

“I'm really looking forward to have a solution,” she said.

Yang said she thought she found the solution online: Web sites devoted to helping people find carpool partners.

Yang posted her information on two Web sites, but has yet to find a carpool partner.

“It's frustrating because I put my name on (the list) but got not so many feedback. I think so far it (has been) one and a half years,” she said.

During that time, Yang has only gotten one response, but that person lived too far away.

Sometimes, though, it does work out.

“It's a win-win situation for everybody. It's easier on your wallet and for the environment,” Paul Michell said.

Tim Stevens and Paul Michell say carpooling, for them, made perfect sense. They live near each other and work at the same place. Stevens said he tried to find a carpooling buddy online first.

“It's hard to match up logistics as far as the arrival point and the destination point,” he said.

Still, with no relief at the pump in sight, many people are trying.

An executive with an online carpooling Web site estimates membership has tripled since February.

Some business are even offering parking spaces for people who can prove they are carpooling.

Carpoolers may also be eligible for federal tax breaks, according to the AAA.