Website & App Match Riders With Drivers, For A Fee

With the BART strike in its second day maybe it's time to try a new commuting trick.

Yesterday Patch reader Lise LaTorre left a comment on a Board note alluding to a ride-sharing service called Avego.com.

The Avego website provides a way for drivers and riders to register, and then specify when and where they want to go.

The software also tracks and handles payment -- yes, there are charges.

Riders pay $1 for the first mile and 20 cents for every mile after that. Avego collects a 15 percent service charge and pays the rest to the driver.

"And don’t forget – you can offer free lifts through the app," Avego says.

GigaOm wrote about Avego in 2008.  The Seattle Times wrote about the service about two years ago. 

Avego has a mobile app for iPhone and Android.

If you're looking for new ways to get to work without BART, this might be worth checking out.

If you use Avego please come back here to share a comment -- good, bad or indifferent -- so the next commuter knows more about what to expect.

You can also find out about free carpool pickup spots and other strike survival tips in this Patch story.

And thanks, Lise, for the idea. We'll get through this thing together.