Carpooling/Ridesharing
What are the benefits to me as an employee?
Carpooling offers many benefits to employees, most prominently, reduced commuting costs including gas and general vehicle maintenance. However, more personal time while traveling to and from work as well as less driving-related stress are important pay-offs too. As high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) become increasingly popular on Utah roads, carpool commuters will be able to see more and more benefit to their travel time when they are able to utilize these facilities.
What can I do?
- Talk to your HR department about any carpool incentive programs that may be in place such as preferential carpool parking or reduced cost parking.
- Visit UTA's Ridematching Database (www.utacommuter.com) to take advantage of the carpool matching software.
- Encourage your employer to consider an employee survey to gauge interest in carpooling and other commute-related transportation strategies. The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) provides a Commuter Mode Survey in their Transportation Demand Tool Kit, which can be ordered at www.actweb.org.
Case Study: BMW
In 2003, employees at BMW Manufacturing implemented an associates carpooling program. Currently, more than 600 employees participate in the process saving an estimated 20,000 gallons of gas annually. Carpoolers take advantage of carpooling incentives such as premium parking and monthly drawings for gas cards.
Source: www.bmwusfactory.com/Environment.aspx?id=244
Weblinks
www.utacommuter.com - UTA Ridematching Database
www.vtpi.org/tdm/tdm34.htm - Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Ridesharing: Car and Van Pooling
There are many carpool matching websites on the internet. The State of Utah and the Utah Department of Transportation do not endorse any of the following sites.
ntlsearch.bts.gov/tris/record/tris/00134671.html - An evaluation of carpool matching software systems