New cars hit the streets of San Diego every day and for each of us that means more traffic and more pollution. That kind of congestion makes it harder to get around and the resulting pollution undermines everyone’s quality of life.

It’s why we’re excited to launch our uberPOOL service in San Diego on Monday, April 25. uberPOOL enables people going to the same place at the same time to share the journey. It’s all about getting more butts into fewer cars. This means cheaper rides for passengers and less congestion over time.

Here’s how it works.

Choose the uberX option in the app.

Enter your destination and let us know how many seats you’ll need. You’ll have the option to choose between sharing your ride or requesting uberX.

Save money by sharing your car with another rider and tapping “Request POOL,” OR Save time by getting your own car and selecting “Request uberX.

You’ll see your driver’s details straight away–name, photo and the details of the car. As with uberX, these drivers have undergone an extensive screening process.

uberPOOL will then match you with another passenger heading in the same direction: That passenger will either be in the car at the start of your trip, in which case you’ll see their name in advance; or Your driver will pick them up along the way, in which case Uber will notify you via the app.

Whether you’re first or second into the car, Uber ensures that you’re never taken more than a few minutes out of your way.

At the end of your trip, you’ll pay just like a normal Uber trip and receive an electronic receipt.

uberPOOL is a proven model.

In Los Angeles, riders took more than 5 million uberPOOL trips in the first eight months, saving 7.9 million driving miles. uberPOOL now accounts for more than 25 percent of Uber’s trips in the city.

Cheaper rides for passengers: uberPOOL is more affordable because the cost of the trip is shared. The fare per trip is up to 25% less than uberX, which is typically our cheapest service.

Less congestion: uberPOOL is a convenient way for people going in the same direction at the same time to share the journey. This helps cut congestion and pollution. And because uberPOOL is cheap and easy to use, over time it offers a credible alternative to car ownership. If you can press a button and get an affordable ride across town within minutes at any time of day or night, why bother to own a car at all?

Less time between trips for drivers: uberPOOL means less idle time between paying trips for drivers. It also means more demand overall because as the cost of a trip falls more people use the service– which means more rides for drivers.

Map of San Diego request area at launch.

Facts about uberPOOL:

Since uberPOOL was launched in San Francisco in September 2014, it has expanded to cities around the world, including: Austin, Bangalore, Boston, Chengdu, Chicago, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, New York City, Paris, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Toronto, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and San Diego.

In San Francisco, uberPOOL now makes up nearly half of Uber’s trips in the city. In one month alone, the service saved 120 tons of carbon dioxide emissions when compared with non-pooled trips, the equivalent to the output of over 128,000 pounds of coal.

Uber Newsroom: It’s a beautiful POOL day in the neighbourhood

In New York City, during the last week of October, nearly 50,000 riders took an uberPOOL trip. In one week alone, more than 60,000 miles of car travel on New York City streets were eliminated by matched uberPOOL trips.

Uber Newsroom: Who says New Yorkers don’t like to share?