Share the Ride Web Application Matches Valley Carpoolers

Valley Metro launches free online tool to match carpoolers, cut pollution

PHOENIX - Valley Metro Regional Public Transportation Authority today unveiled a free online tool called ‘ShareTheRide’ at http://www.valleymetro.org/ to help local residents track how much pollution their commute generates or find a carpool partner.

Using a Web application called RideShark – developed by Commuting Solutions of Ottawa, Canada – the ‘ShareTheRide’ system incorporates the most current technology and mapping features so individuals can personally manage their commutes, track costs or pollution, and opt in and out of actively looking for carpool partners. Ultimately, ShareTheRide also will allow users to join a vanpool, map the best bus or light rail route, or find a bike route.

Phoenix is the largest U.S. city to deploy this tool, according to Commuting Solutions.

“We know some people may want to change their commuting habits to save money or help the environment,” says David Boggs, executive director of Valley Metro RPTA. “By offering a ride-matching and mapping system, those who are on-the-fence or unsure about how to use public transportation may find the assistance they need to try.”

Following a beta test period that began in April, more than 3,200 residents across greater Phoenix are using ShareTheRide to seek a carpool partner or track their pollution. When residents create a personal profile and log how they travel in an online calendar, an emissions calculator shows how much pollution they’ve saved or produced.

Sharing the ride can help Valley air quality, reduce wear and tear on a vehicle, or save money on gas. According to the Maricopa Association of Governments, personal vehicles are among the largest, non-industrial contributors to ground-level ozone – a harmful, odorless gas that plagues Arizona April through September.

Businesses are using the tool to host internal contests that encourage employees to drive less and track how they commute to work, thereby helping businesses meet their requirements under Maricopa County’s Trip Reduction Program.

The new ‘ShareTheRide’ system replaces a previous service through Valley Metro that only matched carpoolers.

Submitted on behalf of Valley Metro
Valley Metro/RPTA provides eco-friendly public transit options to residents of greater Phoenix and Maricopa County, including a clean-fuel bus fleet, low-emissions light rail, online carpool matching and bus trip mapping, and bicycle and telework assistance. Funding is provided by local, state and federal revenues; and administered by a board of 15 governments working to improve and regionalize the public transit system. http://www.valleymetro.org/.

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