UCSB → Bay Area · Highway 101

The easy way home.

Catch rides between the Bay and UCSB with verified students. Drivers get their gas money back. Riders skip the six hour train. Nobody profits, everybody saves.

Get early access
ucsb.edu email required
Santa Barbara
Campus
San Luis Obispo
Stop
San Jose
Stop
San Francisco
Home

How it works

Three steps between campus and home

Verify you're a Gaucho

Sign up with your ucsb.edu email and verify your ID. Drivers also confirm their license and insurance before posting a single seat.

1

Post or find a ride

Drivers post their trip and open seats. Riders search by date and pickup point along the 101. Match, chat in app, and lock it in.

2

Share the cost, not a fare

Riders split the real cost of the trip, capped at the IRS mileage rate. Payment is held until the ride happens, then released to the driver.

3

For students. By students.

SideCar is cost sharing between verified students, not ride hailing. That difference is the whole point.

Drivers break even

Reimbursement is capped at the IRS mileage rate. You were driving home anyway. Now the trip pays for itself.

Students only

Every rider and driver holds a verified ucsb.edu email and a checked ID. No strangers off the street.

Payments held safely

Riders pay up front, funds are held in escrow, and drivers are paid after the trip. No cash, no chasing Venmo requests.

Get on the list

First rides run on the UCSB to Bay Area corridor. Waitlist members get first access.

ucsb.edu emails only. We'll email you once, when it's your turn.

Questions

Is this like Uber?

No. Uber drivers work for money. SideCar drivers are students already making the trip who split the real cost with riders. Reimbursement is capped at the IRS mileage rate, so there's no profit motive.

How much does a ride cost?

It depends on distance and how many riders share the car. A full car from UCSB to the Bay typically means each rider pays a fraction of what gas and wear actually cost, plus a small service fee at checkout.

How do I know my driver is safe?

Every driver verifies their ucsb.edu email, government ID with a live selfie check, driver's license, and insurance before they can post a ride. You can also report or block anyone in the app.

When does it launch?

Soon. We're starting with the UCSB to Bay Area corridor. Join the waitlist and we'll let you in as soon as your route opens.