University Rideshare Solutions
University rideshare solutions help educational institutions reduce campus traffic congestion
Campuses have a limited ability to accommodate vehicular traffic, and competition for parking permits can be intense and difficult to manage. One of the most effective ways to alleviate the problems associated with campus traffic is to introduce university rideshare solutions that are accessible to all members of the educational community.
Beyond reducing the number of vehicles traveling to and around campus, university rideshare solutions also help improve pedestrian safety. Rideshare programs reinforce forward-thinking institutional values while helping commuters develop smarter and more positive personal transportation habits. Students also benefit through transportation cost savings, something that tends to be very important to young people shouldering the rising costs of higher education.
Ridesharing is one of the most effective campus mobility solutions
College enrollment numbers continue to reach new highs in the United States and many other developed countries. While record student population numbers have many positive results, traffic and transportation woes have proven to be among its downsides. More students are driving to campus than ever before, contributing to localized congestion problems and surging demand for limited parking space.
More vehicles on campus inevitably means there are more safety risks, even with the low speed limits enforced by the vast majority of schools. Parking is an even bigger problem for administrators, given that building new parking facilities costs millions of dollars no matter what the approach. These costs can soar even higher if the school has to acquire more land to house a new parking structure.
Thus, it’s no wonder why a growing number of colleges and universities have embraced emerging technologies in their ongoing efforts to address campus traffic congestion and parking needs. University parking apps provide an effective solution from a convenience perspective, but they don’t address the underlying problems associated with increased campus traffic. Instead of actually doing something to reduce traffic and parking demand, university parking software just guides drivers to the closest available parking spots.
Ridesharing commuter services offer a much more sustainable solution. By encouraging campus community members to carpool, they simultaneously achieve two critical objectives by cutting back on campus traffic while reducing the number of vehicles that require parking in the first place.
The hidden benefits of university rideshare solutions
Beyond the obvious cost savings that come with reducing parking demand, campus rideshare programs also boost community safety while cutting back on toxic emissions. However, these key benefits are just two of many other advantages campuses can enjoy by introducing rideshare programs.
Here are a few of the hidden advantages:
- They make your campus more appealing to prospective students, faculty, and staff, giving your school an advantage in attracting new enrollment and landing higher-profile faculty members
- They help campus community members forge new social connections, thus supporting the overall health and collegiality of the campus environment
- They help support the wider branding initiatives schools use to differentiate themselves from comparable institutions in the ever-more-competitive higher education landscape
- Students enjoy a more robust and resilient set of transportation options, which helps improve attendance and academic performance
Partnering with a proven provider like RideAmigos makes it easier to overcome the challenges that often accompany new ridesharing and campus transportation demand management initiatives.
RideAmigos makes it easy to create rideshare programs that meet the varied scheduling needs of staff, students, and faculty
One of the biggest challenges facing university administrations who want to implement smart campus transportation programs is addressing the differing schedules of community members. Student schedules usually vary significantly from day to day and semester to semester, making it difficult for those who would like to participate to find suitable rideshare partners.
The rideshare software module of the RideAmigos commuter management platform solves this issue by using an advanced algorithm to find rideshare matches based on not only location but also day and time. This makes it much easier for individuals to locate a rideshare that works with their specific schedules.
To address the needs of faculty and staff, administrators can also create staff-only and faculty-only rideshare networks in addition to building student-specific programs. These networks can be organized and customized in a wide range of ways, including the creation and management of programs for specific educational and operational departments.
Universities with multiple campuses can also build networks that serve the school’s individual branches. Our platform has already been adopted by a large and growing number of educational institutions throughout the United States and around the world, to great effect. University rideshare solutions hold great potential for enacting wide-scale change, as thousands of students, staff, and faculty members all share the ability to access and use them.
To help familiarize you with the many unique and powerful features our software platform offers, we’ve put together a comprehensive video demonstration that explains, in detail, how it works and how it can benefit your organization.
Get started now to receive a free demo, a free consultation, and to learn more how we can provide a rideshare solution that’s just right for your university.
Photo Credit: Toby Hudson