RIDESHARE WEEK ASKS COMMUTERS TO POOL EFFORTS.

Byline: Daily News

The 12th annual California Rideshare Week starts Monday, and local commuters are being urged to observe the campaign by carpooling, vanpooling, taking the train or bus, bicycling, walking or telecommuting instead of driving alone to work.

Hundreds of thousands of commuters are expected to take the plunge into the pool during Rideshare Week - pledging to share a ride ``for clean air and less traffic'' at least one day.

Roughly 1 million pledge cards will be distributed in Southern California and through the (800) COMMUTE car-pool line, and commuters can also pledge online via the Internet at http://www.scag.ca.gov/commute.

``When you contact us to pledge, you can also get help in making your Rideshare Week travel plans,'' says Cheryl Collier, manager for Southern California Rideshare, which offers commuters assistance with finding car-pool partners and transit options. ``It takes just a few minutes to get the information you need to break the drive-alone habit.''

People who turn in pledge cards also will qualify to win prizes including $2,000 cash, a Palm Springs getaway, emergency kits, stereo equipment, Metrolink passes and more.

Throughout Southern California, commuters will be participating in employer-sponsored events in celebration of the campaign.

Rideshare fairs will be held Tuesday at the California Plaza in downtown Los Angeles; Tuesday and Wednesday at Warner Center in Woodland Hills; Thursday at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power downtown, at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and at the Orange County Transit Authority; and Friday at the Library Tower in downtown Los Angeles and at the Water Garden in Santa Monica.

Most events emphasize the health benefits of ride sharing - both in terms of cutting smog and the stress of driving alone. The average Southland commuter who drives alone puts a pound of pollution in the air each day, so even a one-day-a-week ride-share arrangement can eliminate up to 50 pounds of pollution in a year, according to Southern California Association of Governments. In addition, if every commuter shared the ride once a week, it would cut traffic by 14 percent.

Carpooling remains the most popular alternative to driving alone in the Southland, with more than one in six commuters sharing the ride in a car or van. Southern California Rideshare offers this advice for commuters who want to get a car pool rolling in time for California Rideshare Week:

Find a car-pool partner, such as a friend, neighbor or co-worker. The toll-free (800) COMMUTE also offers free car pool and transit matching assistance.

Meet over lunch or coffee to iron out any details, such as who drives and when, arrangements for pick-ups and drop-offs, what you should do in case someone needs to get home in an emergency.

Select a route. If you can travel on car-pool lanes, you save on average a minute per mile, and even opting for a freeway on-ramp with car-pool lane access can shave several minutes off the drive.

Always use your best judgment when setting up a car pool. Consider establishing a probation period so if you're not comfortable with the arrangement, you can easily bow out and find another car pool.

In support of Rideshare Week, more than 50 cities throughout the Southland are issuing proclamations urging their residents to participate. California Rideshare Week '97 is sponsored in part by Southern California Rideshare, Metrolink, Caltrans, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, AMC Theatres and the Queen Mary in Long Beach.