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At GVF we are committed to our mission of reducing congestion, improving the environment and quality of life. We do this by promoting and implementing transportation demand management (TDM) strategies. One TDM strategy is encouraging commuters to use an alternative form of transportation instead of driving alone to get to and from work. Alternatives include carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, biking or walking.
Carpooling is one of the easiest alternatives a commuter can participate in. A carpool typically consists of two to four people riding together to a similar area on similar schedules, often co-workers riding to and from work. A personal vehicle is used to run a carpool.
Carpooling reduces travel costs such as fuel costs and tolls. It decreases vehicle wear and tear on personal vehicles and can reduce stress. Carpooling can help reduce traffic congestion and help prevent pollution by reducing the amount of Greenhouse gas emissions emitted into the atmosphere.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, 70% of commuters drive alone to work, and only 7.7% carpool (U.S. Census Bureau, 2014). Commuters tend to believe they face barriers when it comes to carpooling. Barriers such as, having a different work schedule to co-workers, or not having co-workers who live close by. GVF regularly conducts commuter surveys for organizations to understand their employees’ commuting behaviors and habits. The results of these surveys often show that these barriers are less challenging than people would think. The main barrier towards carpooling is simply that employees are unaware of potential co-workers who they could share a ride with or the programs that are available to help make the switch.
Share-a-ride is here to help make the shift to ride sharing easy!
Share-A-Ride is a free, computerized service that matches commuters with potential carpool and vanpool groups, transit options, and even walking and bicycling routes. The program is administered by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) and is part of the Mobility Alternatives Program (MAP), which also helps employers find better transportation options for employees.
The new Share-A-Ride webpage uses a mapping function to match commuters to better options. Individuals can also track their commutes in the Commute Journal to calculate their vehicle travel, pollution, and money savings.
Commuters sign up at https://sharearide.rideproweb.com, create a personal profile and the database matches the user with potential carpools or vanpools in their area. If commuters only want to share a ride with co-workers, the program can identify internal matches from your organization only. Sign up today for free!
Interested in signing up or learning more about Share-A-Ride Contact? GVF today.Contact Stacey Henrich at shenrich@gvftma.com or 610-354-8899 ext. 4
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