Commuter Connect finds carpool mates, bus routes and more to help people “Dump the Pump” this summer.
Commuter Connect is joining IndyGo and other community partners in encouraging people to make a commitment to sustainable transportation in June.
“While June 19 is the American Public Transportation Association’s official Dump the Pump Day, we invite everyone to start thinking about a new way to commute today,” said Lori Kaplan, manager of Commuter Connect. “Gas prices have increased to around $4 a gallon again, so there’s never been a better time to use alternative transportation.”
Commuter Connect helps people locate bus routes, carpool mates, bike buddies, and, for larger groups with longer commutes, vanpools.
As of May 15, Commuter Connect has 1,091 registered carpools and 2,283 participants, an increase over Dec. 31, 2013. The program is free, and if you carpool, ride the bus, bike or walk an average of three times a week, you may be eligible for the free emergency ride home service. That means, if you carpool to work and need to leave because you’re sick or need to stay late unexpectedly, you can get a free cab ride home up to five times a year.
Commuter Connect’s vanpool program has 24 vans with 260 participants. Two new vanpools have started this year, one from downtown Indianapolis to Columbus, and one from Greenwood to Columbus. Other vanpool start and stop points include Bloomington to downtown Indianapolis, Hamilton County to Kokomo, Westfield to Lawrence, Plainfield to Lawrence, Cloverdale to downtown and more.
“If we can get people to try ridesharing, taking the bus or biking to work, they’ll see that it can save money, reduce stress, recapture some time and even burn calories,” said Kaplan.
