While plenty of people–especially those with long-distance commutes–may be interested in sharing the ride to work, it can be difficult to turn that interest into a reality.
After all, it takes time and resources to find colleagues who live nearby, connect to them, figure out a route and plan a carpool schedule. For many commuters, it’s easier to stick to driving alone.
The MyGCO app, powered by Georgia Commute Options, takes away many of the roadblocks people face when starting up a carpool program – especially when it’s paired with support from GCO’s team of Worksite Advisors.
Why Use MyGCO for Carpool Planning?
MyGCO is a perfect complement for companies looking to facilitate direct connections between employees who live nearby and are scheduled to come into the office on the same days. Employees interested in sharing the ride can simply input their address into the app’s ridematching tool to find colleagues who live along their route to work. They can then contact each other directly through the app.
Instead of poring over a map to figure out the best route for carpools, MyGCO’s ridematching technology plans the route for them. This takes the guesswork out of route planning and makes it easy for employees to start enjoying their new commute right away. In addition to making carpooling easier, MyGCO also makes it more rewarding, by offering prizes and perks toward rewards.
Brenden Thompson, a Worksite Advisor at Georgia Commute Options, highlights that carpooling through MyGCO can help build community and reduce stress. “It helps with building your community, further getting to know your coworkers, and just not taking on that stress of traffic by yourself,” explains Brendan. “I believe it leads to a more productive workday.”
Case Study: How Newcomb & Boyd Modernized Its Carpool Program
One company that has successfully leveraged MyGCO for carpooling is Newcomb & Boyd. Located in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the sustainable engineering firm wanted to encourage more employees to try green commute modes like carpooling for the three days a week they’re required to be in the office. However, they needed a starting point.
Realizing traditional, hand-drawn route matching approaches were too time consuming, Newcomb & Boyd turned to Georgia Commute Options and their Worksite Advisor Brenden for a simpler solution. Brenden and the GCO team mapped and analyzed employee home locations and commute paths, with a special focus on carpool routes. They found that many employees live within a 20-mile radius, concentrated in Fulton and Dekalb counties, making carpooling a viable option.
GCO then met with Newcomb & Boyd employees for an informational session on carpooling and other commuting alternatives. This wealth of information was paired with access to the MyGCO app, which employees could use to search for, get matched with and message colleagues interested in sharing the ride to work. They could also use the tool to find convenient routes and nearby park-and-ride lots.
Armed with both a new understanding of commute strategies and the convenience of MyGCO, Newcomb & Boyd employees are now able to secure carpool matches on their own.
“The app gives employers an approach to carpooling that’s more modern,” Brenden says. “It takes away the extra burden of coordination for both employees and their employers in a way that’s much more straightforward.”
Convenient, Strategic Solutions for Carpooling and More
Newcomb & Boyd’s story is just one example of how GCO helps organizations make their carpooling goals happen. The services Georgia Commute Options provides for free help companies implement convenient, modern solutions for green commutes, lessening the burden on employers and employees alike. To learn how you can make carpooling happen at your organization, reach out to discuss how we can help.