By Matt Sepic, KWMU

St. Louis – A group that arranges carpools in the St. Louis area says interest is up sharply because of high fuel prices.

In the past year, Ridefinders has seen a 33 percent jump in the number of people seeking to share vehicles.

Director Joe Wright said before the dramatic rise in gas prices, most people who carpooled had fairly long commutes.

But he said now, people who live closer to work are inquiring about the program.

"More and more people, even if they have a shorter commute, are looking at carpooling and vanpooling simply because the cost of gas is just so high," Wright said.

Wright said Metro East commuters expressed the most interest early on because gas prices are higher in Illinois than in Missouri.

He said most carpools include only two people, but Ridefinders has vans available to lease for larger groups.

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