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Empower Employees with Commuting Resources

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Resources like localized map layers enable commuters to choose smarter modes of transportation

Businesses have a lot of incentive to encourage employees to make better use of alternative modes of transportation. In addition to payroll tax benefits, which are available to companies that offer employee commuting programs, studies have shown that options like ridesharing, vanpooling, and public transit help improve productivity and reduce stress. By providing employee commuting resources, businesses can build a happier, healthier culture.

Dynamic, relevant information is one of the most effective types of employee commuting resources a company can offer

One of the biggest hindrances to behavior change is uncertainty. So it only makes sense that integrated, up-to-date information is the most important tool to offer your commuters. If a commuter doesn’t know or isn’t sure how to make best use of alternative options, they are far more likely to just stick with the status quo.

For example, custom map layers can be used to provide resources like:

  • Carshare locations. Programs like Zipcar have become a popular alternative for multi-modal transportation – integrate their pick-up locations!
  • Bike facilities. Show helpful resources like bike racks, repair stands, and shops across your region.
  • Park-and-ride lots. Commuters living in the suburbs and outlying areas can avoid congested city corridors by driving to a park-and-ride lot, then carpooling or taking transit the rest of the way.
  • Parking availability. Help commuters say goodbye to wasting time and fuel by driving around looking for a place to park.

Choosing the right commuter management software is the best way to drive behavior change. The RideAmigos platform provides commuters with convenient access to a wealth of dynamic, customizable information through  its trip planning and commuter dashboard tools, and gives administrators the added change-making leverage of targeted incentives. These powerful functions enable users to choose smarter modes of transportation with confidence.

Learn more about RideAmigos’ custom map layers and data integration options.

RideAmigos CEO Recognized by ACT as a 40 Under 40 Leader

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We’re thrilled that the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) just named our CEO, Jeffrey Chernick, as one of their 2016 “40 Under 40.”

“This group represents a cross section of our industry and how TDM is integrated throughout the public and private sectors. These forty individuals are shining stars for the TDM profession and we look forward to them leading TDM for many years to come” – ACT President Rob Henry

ACT 40 Under 40

Jeffrey leads our team with enthusiasm and vision, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of transportation demand management technology and 21st-century commuter management solutions!

ACT announced the awards on the closing day of their inaugural Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Forum in Boston, which brought together over 140 transportation professionals.

From ACT executive Director David Straus:

“The energy and passion these honorees show every day for improving our cities is at the heart of our collaborative efforts. The work these individuals have done to inspire changes in their communities and beyond is having an incredible impact to make our cities more livable, more economically competitive, and more prepared for sustainable growth into the future.”

Facts on the 40 Under 40 Honorees

  • Average length of service at current organization: 5 years
    • 15% have 10+ years at current organization
    • 35% have 6+ years at current organization
  • Average length of service to TDM industry: 7 years
    • 25% have 10+ years or more in TDM
    • 50% have 7+ years in the TDM industry
    • 83% have 5+ years in the TDM industry

The Association for Commuter Transportation, (ACT), is an international trade association and leading advocate for commuter transportation and TDM. Commuting by bus, train, rideshare, bike, walking, or telework improves our world by contributing to energy independence, better air quality, sustainability, urban mobility, and reduced congestion. Through advocacy, education, and networking efforts, ACT strives to improve the lives of commuters, the livability of communities, and the economic competitiveness of businesses.

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What Are Commuter Benefits?

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Discover how commuter benefits programs help businesses attract and retain higher-quality employees, build company culture, and even save money.

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Rideshare Solutions for Enterprises

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Rideshare Solutions for Enterprises

Rideshare solutions help enterprises of all sizes create smart commuting programs 

Employer-sponsored rideshare programs have emerged as a favored way for enterprises to promote and encourage the use of smart commuting alternatives. In essence, these programs serve as company-wide carpools for employees. They are typically designed to allow employees who live in the same geographic area to take turns driving to work from an easily accessible local pickup point or transit station.

Public and private sector partners alike share a common stake in using the principles of transportation demand management to help ease traffic congestion and reduce the environmental impact of urban commuting. Businesses in all industries benefit from projecting a greener and more ecologically responsible public image. Therefore, launching an rideshare program at your enterprise can play a leading role in bringing about a meaningful change in company culture.

Employees also benefit in many ways. Rideshare solutions for enterprises help participants reduce wear and tear on their individually owned vehicles, while building meaningful social and professional connections and reducing the stress of commuting. All this leads to happier, less stressed, and more productive employees – something every company wants!

Supplementing rideshare solutions with incentive programs and gamification helps improve participation rates

Rideshare solutions work best when used as part of a broader company-wide smart commuting strategy. For example, rideshare initiatives can be included in incentive and gamification programs that boost participation rates. Smart commuting challenges, friendly competitions, and incentive programs that offer perks and rewards for using alternative transportation can unite workforces and get more people to try out different ways of getting to work.

These strategies help enterprises overcome one of the key barriers to getting employees to adopt new commuting methods: inertia. Many people are so used to commuting in single-occupancy vehicles that they are reluctant to switch to something new. Others worry that adopting alternative transportation will be costly or inefficient, when the reality is that they aren’t. As that’s a truth that is best learned through direct experience, the all-important first step is to provide a compelling impetus to give smart commuting a chance.

RideAmigos helps businesses get there. Our revolutionary software platform offers full enterprise-level commuter transportation management support, helping companies build programs quickly and easily, all while easily managing challenges, incentives, and gamification programs.

If you’d like to learn more about our complete suite of dynamic, next-generation, enterprise-oriented solutions, please contact us or sign up to view our free, comprehensive video demonstration.

Learn more about Ridesharing for Enterprises

Commuter Programs for Enterprises

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Commuter Programs for Enterprises

Explore creative ideas for enterprise commuter programs that will generate high participation rates

Businesses have a lot of options when it comes to creating enterprise-level commuter programs. Given the highly varied sizes and operational natures of companies that want to encourage new ways of commuting, some are more readily applicable than others. With that in mind, here’s an overview of the main types of programs that have proven to be popular and effective with companies of all sizes, and in all industries:

  • Rideshare programs. Create carpool networks that match employees commuting in from the same neighborhood or geographic region.
  • Challenges and gamification. Stimulate increased participation levels by introducing friendly challenges and gamification techniques that reward employees for using alternatives to single-passenger vehicles.
  • Incentive programs. Rewards for achieving a specific level of smart transportation usage can take many forms, from gift cards and event tickets to paid nights out at local restaurants or even cash. These make great motivational tools!
  • Transit pass subsidies. By shouldering part or all of the cost of a monthly local transit pass, employers give team members further incentive to leave their cars at home and hop on the bus, train, or subway.
  • The “guaranteed ride home.” Some people balk at biking because they worry about being stranded if bad weather hits unexpectedly. Offering a “guaranteed ride home” is an effective answer.
  • Tax benefit programs. Recent increases in transport-related monthly pre-tax spending allowances make alternative commuting a smarter option for both employees and enterprises.

Team members and businesses alike benefit in big ways from commuter programs

Commuter programs for enterprises and employee rideshare solutions create a long list of added benefits for participants. Biking to work is a great way to get exercise, enjoy fresh outdoor air, and improve health. Commuter transportation programs also reduce the stress involved with the daily commute to and from work, which in turn leads to increased productivity and higher overall job (and life) satisfaction. Employers thus benefit from improved employee retention rates, as well as the ability to attract better-quality talent from the job market.

The RideAmigos software platform makes it easy to create and manage commuter programs for your enterprise, connecting participants using the power of modern technology. If you’d like to explore ways to help change your company’s commuter patterns in more detail, please contact us or sign up for a free, comprehensive video demonstration.

University Vanpools

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University Vanpools

University vanpools are changing the way faculty, staff, visitors, and students access campus facilities.

Vanpools are gaining traction as an efficient, low-cost university transportation alternative. Operated by both public and private agencies, vanpool programs group a small number of commuters together. Most vanpools are made up of groups of eight to fifteen people, though these numbers can be adjusted either way depending on demand and the number of vehicles in the operator’s fleet.

While most university vanpools are designed to meet the needs of faculty and staff commuting from outlying areas, they can also be configured to serve students and visitors. Fares are affordable, and are set at levels that make using the vanpool more cost-effective than driving. This, in turn, increases participation rates, helping university administrators realize the many community benefits that university vanpools offer.

How do university vanpools work?

To maximize budgets, organizations usually configure vanpools to provide point-to-point transportation between a designated arrival/departure spot on campus and a major public transit hub or popular local destination. It’s most cost-effective to offer service on a set schedule, or only during peak periods.

Choosing a strategic destination point is critical to the success of your vanpool. The best option will depend heavily on the needs of your riders: Are they looking to solve the “first mile, last mile dilemma” by having a convenient option to reach a nearby high-speed transit network? Do out-of-town staff and student commuters travel to a main station in your city’s downtown area?

To find out the precise nature of the transportation issues commuters are looking to solve by riding with your vanpool, it’s a good idea to use survey tools to gather insights. This helps you create a customized solution that speaks directly to their needs and fills in critical transportation gaps.

You’ll increase ridership and the overall utility of your vanpool program if you’re able to provide two-way service to and from campus. However, this can necessitate some additional logistical solutions, as you might need to get permission from municipal authorities to operate a vanpool that travels to campus from a trip origin point elsewhere in the city.

Adding vehicles to your fleet allows you to serve a wider range of high-value destinations throughout the surrounding area. Naturally, this adds to your upfront costs, but it can also pay dividends by making the service more appealing to a broader base of prospective riders. When managed properly, vanpools can even generate a modest profit, which the university can reinvest into other commuter and transportation management programs.

University vanpool ridership and access policies

Most universities charge reduced fares for vanpool access, or offer it free of charge to qualified riders if budgets allow. Thus, it’s important to consider your access policies when your vanpool program is still in its design and configuration phase to prevent misuse.

One approach that a lot of schools use involves creating specific, detailed eligibility criteria. For example, the University of Michigan’s vanpool program limits access to full-time students and permanent, full-time employees who will use the service at least four days per week. The school charges a low monthly rate for a vanpool pass, and riders show their credentials to the driver when they board.

Learn more about the benefits and use-cases of university vanpools as an alternative mode of transportation.

Beyond offering significant cost savings to individual passengers, university vanpools have many other advantages that have a positive effect, both campus-wide and across the broader community as a whole:

  • They help reduce on-campus vehicular traffic, thereby increasing pedestrian safety
  • They provide a safe, accessible alternative to single-passenger vehicles
  • They ease traffic congestion and the pollution associated with it
  • They strengthen interpersonal and social ties among passengers and community members
  • They help universities manage campus parking demand by cutting down on the number of vehicles remaining on the property
  • They work to reduce campus parking costs by easing demand and helping schools avoid the need to add more parking facilities

University vanpools can benefit schools that fit one or more of the following profile criteria:

  • A large student body with a significant percentage of students and/or staff commuting to campus, rather than living on-campus or in the immediate vicinity
  • Consistently high levels of demand for limited on-campus parking spaces
  • Gridlock and associated problems recurring during peak traffic periods
  • Location in a large urban area that is underserved by public transportation

Participation in vanpooling programs can also help universities qualify for incentives offered to organizations that take proactive steps to help combat traffic congestion. Best of all, vanpools are easy to create and manage with the powerful digital tools delivered by RideAmigos’ revolutionary transportation demand management platform.

Sign up for our demo to learn more about the many ways vanpools for enterprises, universities, and other large organizations can transform your community. You can also contact us for further information about our next-generation software tools.

Image Credit: UCLA Transportation

Government Rideshare Solutions

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Government Rideshare Solutions

Set a shining example with the RideAmigos suite of government rideshare solutions.

Government organizations play a key leadership role in bringing about changes in the way people move around cities and regions. Because of this, implementing government rideshare solutions is a great way to send the right message. Reducing reliance on single-occupancy vehicles stands to save government untold millions of dollars on infrastructure upkeep and pollution-related costs. Creating easy-to-use rideshare programs for commuters is an excellent way create change.

The RideAmigos suite of user-friendly and powerful government transportation demand management solutions makes it easy for COGs, TMAs and TMOs to create, publicize, and manage rideshare networks. Government agencies can launch interactive rideshare networks and subnetworks for specific geographic regions or individual companies within minutes. Network adminstrators will enjoy outstanding convenience and pinpoint control over the creation, contextualization, and administration of employee-oriented rideshare networks. As you can see, RideAmigos is packed full of features that support to more widespread adoption of smart commuting and alternative transportation strategies.

Powerful features make it easy to illuminate and analyze the positive impact of government rideshare solutions.

The advanced commuter data analysis tools offered by the RideAmigos software platform are invaluable to government agencies. These analytic capabilities allow government organizations to gather revealing metrics and important information about commuter transportation habits with ease through a robust variety of analysis options.

Specific to government rideshare solutions, these analytic capabilities gather data related to program usage. Supplemented with dynamic geographic information system (GIS) mapping features, it’s a breeze to use RideAmigos to generate visualizations, maps, graphs, and charts. Together, these features can paint a detailed picture of how effective current programs are. The data analysis supported by our software platform helps key decision-makers and policy designers make wiser, evidence-based decisions about how to expand and improve transportation initiatives.

A growing number of government-sector organizations have adopted our comprehensive rideshare platform in recent years, to great success. Ridesharing has proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles while still allowing commuters to enjoy the key benefits of private transportation.

If you’d like to learn more about our government rideshare solutions, or if you’re interested in exploring our software platform’s full set of capabilities, please contact us or sign up to view our free, comprehensive video demo.

Ridesharing in the 21st Century

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A new generation of ridesharing technology is leading the way to reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles and help more people skip the solo drive.

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Government Transportation Demand Management

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Government Transportation Demand Management

Transportation demand management has emerged as a crucial area of focus for local and regional governments across the country and around the world.

From the earliest beginnings of the transportation demand management (TDM) movement, government agencies have been front and center. Government decisions impact thousands of people belonging to both current and future generations. Therefore, the importance of making the right choices cannot be overstated. Government TDM solutions like the RideAmigos software platform provide decision-makers with an enhanced range of powerful tools. This can make a world of difference when it comes to the smart management of urban growth and changing transportation needs.

The era of the single-occupancy vehicle finally appears to be waning, and municipalities across the United States and around the world are looking to the future. They’re finding out that what’s set to change isn’t so much the ways people get around. Rather, what will change are the ways people access those transportation options. Modes like rapid light rail transit, subways, buses, walking, cycling, ridesharing, and carpooling are all here to stay. Giving people new ways to locate and manage such choices is what’s going to build a better future.

Government agencies are also tasked with finding ways to manage the differing and sometimes-conflicting needs of the private sector and the public. The keys to success are communication and policy decisions that are guided by hard data and analytics, rather than special interests and anecdotal evidence. This is where the RideAmigos commuter management platform can make a major difference.

Discover a new generation of powerful TDM solutions for government agencies.

The RideAmigos platform provides parent organizations with effective and easy-to-use technology-driven solutions that support the creation and management of TDM networks and subnetworks. This provides government transportation demand management authorities with superior levels of control and autonomy when creating, contextualizing, and managing municipal transportation programs. It also puts powerful management solutions in their hands, enabling them to identify, anticipate, and solve challenges and problems through advanced analytics and data collection initiatives.

RideAmigos has already helped dozens of government agencies make more efficient and cost-effective forays into the dynamic 21st-century transportation demand management landscape. To learn more about how the RideAmigos platform supports government organizations and policy makers, please contact us or register to view our comprehensive video demonstration.

Government TDM Articles

Transportation Demand Management for Enterprises

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Transportation Demand Management for Enterprises

Transportation demand management programs have the potential to create far-reaching, positive changes in company culture.

Transportation demand management (TDM) has traditionally been the domain of government agencies and organizations. However, a growing number of forward-thinking businesses are using TDM practices to help enact beneficial changes in the culture of their companies. Some of the key benefits of enterprise-level transportation demand management programs include:

  • Increased employee satisfaction rates.
  • The ability to attract and retain higher-quality employees who value the principles of smart commuting.
  • Productivity improvements, thanks to more efficient and less stressful commuting.
  • Stronger collegial relationships among employees.
  • Reductions in the costs associated with parking facilities.
  • Improvement in reputation regarding sustainability and environmental concerns.

While TDM solutions for enterprises are still strongly focused on helping reduce traffic congestion and public infrastructure costs, they are also oriented towards helping companies change the commuting behavior of employees for a positive impact on the company’s bottom line. To this end, technology-driven solutions like the transportation demand management software have proven to be a major boon.

RideAmigos provides dynamic technology-driven transportation demand management solutions for enterprises of all sizes.

The RideAmigos TDM platform delivers powerful solutions that make it easy for businesses to create employee commuter programs. This, in turn, helps employees make better use of smarter alternatives to commuting with single-occupancy vehicles. Enterprise-driven technology makes it easy for large groups of corporate commuters with established interpersonal links and shared destinations to arrange carpooling programs. Individual users of our can access a whole host of powerful features including multimodal trip planners, interactive commuter dashboards, automatic trip logging, and much more.

Employer-driven awareness and incentive programs are very important when it comes to getting people on board with enterprise TDM programs. Once again, our software platform provides crucial support. Gamification, challenges, and incentives are easy to create and administrate, giving companies an upper hand in encouraging greater levels of employee participation.

RideAmigos’ enterprise-focused modules are also ideal for companies that want to maximize employee benefits, encourage healthier and more active lifestyles, and cultivate a company philosophy that includes ecological responsibility as a core value. In addition, good TDM helps businesses keep their parking- and property-related costs down, providing important facilities benefits to go along with key personnel advantages.

To learn more about how the RideAmigos platform can benefit your business, or to explore our software’s many feature in more detail, please contact us or sign up to access our free, comprehensive video demonstration.

Enterprise-Oriented TDM Articles

University Transportation Demand Management

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University Transportation Demand Management

Discover effective campus transportation demand management solutions that generate lasting improvements.

Universities and colleges face a unique set of challenges related to traffic and parking facility management. Campus communities continue to grow and evolve. But building more traffic infrastructure isn’t a viable option in the vast majority of cases. Therefore, administrators need to find practical solutions that encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation. Such alternatives include public transit, walking, cycling, ridesharing, and others.

Campuses that simply introduce vehicle and parking restrictions as a way to manage rising traffic volumes don’t tend to generate the kind of results that lead to lasting solutions. The key to real success is to make smarter transportation options more accessible, convenient, and desirable, especially to students. Thankfully, the good news is that most campuses are already configured to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

The field of Transportation Demand Management (TDM) provides an ideal framework for creating such change. Transportation demand management solutions for educational institutions can help administrators get more people to move around campus without their own vehicles by creating awareness and behavior-change programs that are powered by technology.

The RideAmigos software platform offers powerful capabilities to university administrators and end users alike.

With the RideAmigos TDM software platform, university transportation demand management administrators can quickly and easily track trends and data related to campus commuting. Alongside powerful user tools, this data can be used to help guide policy decisions that will have a far-reaching impact. Students, faculty, and staff will enjoy instant access to a complete range of powerful journey planning tools, including:

  • Turn-by-turn directions for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Multimodal trip planners, including real-time links to local public transit schedules and up-to-the-minute information.
  • Easy-to-use, easy-to-manage carpooling and rideshare matching.
  • Route planners for vehicle-based commuters that will help drivers avoid congested areas, reduce idle time, and arrive at campus on time.

Putting this much information at users’ fingertips makes it far more likely that commuters will make better and more widespread use of smarter, more sustainable transportation. Paired with initiatives like transit pass subsidies or incentive programs, universities can generate results that can reduce vehicular traffic on campuses by as much as 30 percent or more.

Even highly educated faculty members and environmentally conscious student populations will default to solo driving if there aren’t enough options or alternatives available. Choosing the RideAmigos platform to help manage campus transportation needs is a strong step in the right direction. To learn more, please contact us at RideAmigos or sign up to view our free, comprehensive video demonstration.

University TDM Articles

What Is Transportation Demand Management (TDM)?

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