If driving through San Francisco is part of your daily routine — even if you're just planning a social trip across town — make your journey easier by taking advantage of the many services offered by the City and some non-profit organizations. Check out the following resources before getting behind the wheel:

• 511 Transit is a great tool for drivers, offering a "free phone and Web service that consolidates Bay Area transportation information into a one-stop resource. 511 provides up-to-the-minute information on traffic conditions, incidents and driving times... and more." See 511's Web site for details, as well as local traffic information and a "Traffic and Driving Times Map."
  
  
  • Be sure to look into the 511 RideShare Program, which aims to facilitate the various aspects of carpooling. Visit RideShare online for guidelines on starting a vanpool, promoting ridesharing at work, identifying carpool lanes and "park & ride" locations for your route. You can also use the 511 RideMatch Servicer to link up with carpools, vanpools or bicycle buddies.
    
    
• If your relationship with your automobile is somewhat ambivalent — perhaps you like the occasional convenience of a car but could do without the burden and expense of full-time ownership — take a look at City Car Share. This award-winning non-profit organization operates as a sort of rental agency, except you must be a member to use the service. Since City Car Share only accommdates its members, the company does not demand the usual load of paperwork and fees each time you reserve one of its automobiles. The arrangement just might suit your needs.
  
  
• Another rental program to consider is Zipcar.com, the nation’s largest car sharing company. It offers self-service on-demand hybrid vehicles by the hour or by the day to urban residents and businesses in San Francisco, as well as New York, Boston, Washington DC, Toronto and other cities. Membership includes gas, insurance, free miles, reserved parking and XM satellite radio. Cars are parked in neighborhoods for use anytime by Zipcar members, with annual fees of just $50 per year. Learn more or join at www.zipcar.com.