RideAmigos at ACT Conference 2018

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The Association for Commuter Transportation International Conference is taking place July 29th through August 1st, and RideAmigos is proud to be a sponsor and exhibitor.

The best part for us is that so many of our awesome customers will be part of making this year’s event extra-special. As we’ve said time and time again, working for our amazing user community is what makes us love what we do. If you’re not already part of the RideAmigos Academy, check out all the ways you can connect with our customers and our team in Anaheim. You’ll see what we mean!

Presentations and Panels

Don’t miss hearing from some RideAmigos customers at one of these interesting and informative sessions at this year’s conference:

Bike Share on Campus: Emerging best practices
(Monday, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM)

David Sorrell, who manages the TDM program at UC Berkeley, will be on a panel discussing how dockless bike share systems have changed, how we think about and plan for bicycle commuting, and how his program is responding.

Rethinking Residential TDM
(Monday, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM)

This panel features Tien-Tien Chan, TDM Program Manager at the City of Austin, along with others behind residential TDM campaigns from around the nation. Together they will discuss how they measured success and share valuable lessons learned.

Three Winning Incentive Strategies in Practice
(Monday, 1:30 – 2:45 PM)

A panel of experts from across industries will focus on the commuter incentives strategies that are driving real, measurable results, including daily incentives, commuter stores, and parking cash-out programs. This panel features three RideAmigos clients; Brittany Barrett, Assistant Director of Transportation at Emory University; Kim Comstock, Commuter Programs Manager at  Commute.org, and Tien-Tien Chan, TDM Program Manager at the City of Austin. It will also be moderated by our own Corey Tucker, Director of Programs and Customer Success at RideAmigos.

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: New Mobility Approaches for Your Workplace of Campus
(Tuesday, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM)

Amy McCrary, Senior Sustainable Transportation Specialist at Stanford Research Park in Palo Alto, California will be part of a panel discussing how to help commuters to rethink how they move to, from and around your facilities.

The Cost of Competition: Subsidy and Incentive Strategies for All Employer Markets
(Tuesday, 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM)

Kim Comstock of Commute.org in San Mateo County will join another panel to discuss how employers can differentiate themselves in recruitment and retention by leveraging commuter benefits and incentives. This panel will share examples of how organizations of different scales implemented successful strategies that fit their budgets and needs.

Vanpool Group Formation: Getting All the Pieces to Fall into Place
(Tuesday, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM)

Does this sound familiar: You have a group of people interested in vanpooling but, in practice, it’s difficult to get them all going? In this session, Patty Olmsted, Senior Business Outreach Specialist at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, and other experienced panelists will share real-life vanpool group formation tips to overcome the challenges and get more people in vanpools.

Scale UP! TDM Strategies for Large Employers
(Tuesday, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM)

Shawn Chavira, Associate Director of Transportation, USC Transportation, and other panelists will help us understand what kinds of commuter benefits programs work for large employers to reduce the transportation frustrations of their employees, visitors and surrounding community.

ACT Award Finalists

If you cross paths with any of these RideAmigos customers, be sure to congratulate them on being recognized as finalists for ACT Awards in these impressive categories:

California State University, Los Angeles, Transportation Services – Marketing and Outreach, University

City of Austin Smart Commute Rewards – Commuting Options, Carpooling

GoRedmond – Commuting Options, Biking

Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission – Marketing and Outreach, Public

Patty Olmsted, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission – Commuting Options, Vanpooling

Stanford Research Park Transportation Management Association – Outstanding TMA

Tien-Tien Chan, City of Austin Transportation Department – Excellence in Advocacy

TravelWise, Region of Waterloo and Sustainable Waterloo Region – Commuting Options, Carpooling

UCLA Transportation – Commuting Options, Biking AND Commuting Options, Public Transit

Kudos to all these amazing programs, teams, and individuals – you’re all transportation heroes in our book! We love working with and learning from leaders like you who are at the top of their field.

RideAmigos ACT Commuter Challenge

Drop by the RideAmigos booth to take part in the RideAmigos ACT Commuter Challenge! We’ll be giving away $50 gift cards for most CO2 saved, most single occupancy vehicle (SOV) miles avoided, and most calories burned. Even if you don’t top the charts, you’ll still have a chance at a random giveaways of our new Transportation Hero t-shirts.

RideAmigos Academy Meet-up

If you’re a RideAmigos customer, you should already have your calendars blocked off for Tuesday night’s user meet-up and appreciation dinner. Need more convincing? Here are 5 reason’s not to miss this year’s meet-up.

Annual Closing Night Karaoke Party

There’s no better way to wrap up another great ACT conference than the annual karaoke party. This year’s party will be bigger and better than ever, just a short walk from the conference hotel in the Anaheim Garden Walk at 8pm on Tuesday, July 31st. We’re also excited to welcome Lime as a co-sponsor of this year’s event. They might even bring some of their famous electric scooters. If you’re not already on the list, sign up for your free ticket now!

If you’re looking for a RideAmigos team member to chat with about the latest and greatest updates to our platform, programs, and mobile apps, just drop by booth #27 or send a note to act@rideamigos.com. We’d love to meet you in person and learn about the work you’re working to engage commuters in your area!

ACT 2018. Let’s do this!

5 Reasons Not to Miss This Year’s Academy Meet-Up in Anaheim

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ACT RideAmigos Academy Meet-up 2017

The RideAmigos Academy is a tremendous resource for RideAmigos customers, providing opportunities for learning, sharing, and support. Each year at the Association for Commuter Transportation’s International Conference, RideAmigos customers and partners have the special opportunity to meet up in-person for even more value and fun.

Here are 5 reasons that RideAmigos Academy members should make sure to mark your calendars for 6-8pm on Tuesday, July 31st for this year’s meet-up at the ACT conference in Anaheim, California:

1) Connect with RideAmigos Power Users

The unique strength of the RideAmigos Academy is the opportunity to learn from and share with other transportation professionals who use RideAmigos on a daily basis. Our in-person meet-up gives you the chance to connect with the Academy members you’ve heard from during our monthly webinars and to compare notes with other users. Find out how industry leaders are leveraging the many tools within RideAmigos, and which TDM strategies are proving most effective.

2) Learn What’s Coming Next

Academy members are always at the forefront of RideAmigos product updates and announcements. We’ve got some big news coming up around this year’s ACT conference and the Academy meet-up will be a great opportunity to learn how these new additions will help you create and manage impactful commuter programs.

3) Help Shape the Future of RideAmigos

Here at RideAmigos we’re always listening to our customers and watching the evolution of the smart mobility ecosystem to determine how to provide the best products in the business. This year’s Academy event will feature an in-depth exploration and discussion of industry trends, which will ultimately inform future RideAmigos tools and programs.

4) Free Food and Drinks

You’ve got to eat, right? Why not do so for free, and have a drink on us while you’re at it! As a way to show our appreciation for you, our beloved Academy members, your food and drinks are provided. Who says there’s no such thing as a free meal?

5) Stick Around for the Annual Karaoke Party

In case you aren’t aware, the most famous party of the year for the commuter management industry also happens on the last night of the ACT conference. The annual RideAmigos karaoke party is not to be missed, and if you’re at the Academy meet-up you’re already there. Starting at 8pm we’ll transition into party mode, so be ready to belt out some duets with your colleagues and close out the conference right. The karaoke party is free and open to anyone attending the ACT conference.

Click here to register for the Academy Meet-up

Click here to register for the Karaoke Party

If you’re in the market for better tools and resources for running your commuter programs, you won’t find a more active, engaged, and fun user group than the RideAmigos Academy, and membership is included for all RideAmigos platform and network administrators. Want to learn more? Get started with RideAmigos today.

CommuteCon 2018 is Bigger Than Ever

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A New Year has begun and that means our team is gearing up for the third annual CommuteCon on February 7. In 2018, what was already the world’s largest online commuter transportation conference is going to be bigger and better than ever. We’re incredibly excited to present a program that covers the most important trends and issues in commuter and transportation demand management in 2018 and beyond. This year’s theme, “Smart Mobility with Purpose,” invites commuter transportation leaders to reflect on and celebrate the important impact their work has on their communities and the world.

CommuteCon is a unique, free opportunity for transportation and commuter management professionals from around the world to connect and experience presentations from industry thought leaders, policy-makers and practitioners from diverse fields in the public and private sectors – all without leaving the office. We are so excited about the amazing lineup of presenters for CommuteCon 2018. With more than a dozen valuable sessions and lightning talks on key topics in commuter transportation and demand management, plus two incredible keynotes, this five-hour event is the essential virtual conference to propel you forward in your mission this year.

Opening Keynote: Susan Shaheen, Ph.D.

It will be an honor to welcome Susan Shaheen back to CommuteCon this year. Susan is the Director of Innovative Mobility Research, a co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center, and Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California Berkeley.  

Susan is an internationally recognized thought leader whose work focuses on applying technology to mobility challenges. She has been a pioneer in research on commuter carsharing and continues to contribute to the study of smart vehicle sharing, intelligent parking management, sustainable transportation technology and infrastructure, as well as other areas.

She has a Ph.D. in ecology from UC Davis, focusing on the energy and environmental aspects of transportation, and an M.S. in public policy analysis from the University of Rochester. In the past, she served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, and as the Policy and Behavioral Research Program Leader at California Partners for Advanced Transit and Highways.

She currently serves on the ITS World Congress program committee, and the editorial board of IJST, and is chair of the subcommittee for Shared-UseVehicle Public Transport Systems of the Transportation Research Board.

Second Keynote: Simon Mainwaring

For the second keynote presentation, attendees will hear from Simon Mainwaring, founder of We First, a leading brand and leadership consultancy that empowers people and organizations to lead and make a positive impact on the world.  

A global thought leader in purpose-driven strategy and brand development, Simon is also a member of the Executive Committee of Sustainable Brands, the Steering Committee of the Business Alliance for the Future, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in London and the World Business Academy in the United States. He alsoserved as interim CMO at TOMS, where he helped to lead innovative marketing strategies.

Simon contributes to The Guardian, Forbes, and Huffington Post on branding and social technology and was featured on the cover of the National Speaker Magazine.

His book, We First: How brands and Consumers Use Social Media to Build a Better World (Palgrave Macmillan) is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestseller. He has worked with an incredible portfolio of brands including Nike, Coca-Cola, Toyota, and Motorola, and has won dozens of awards. Simon will call upon CommuteCon participants to connect with the purpose behind our shared mission and draw inspiration from the impact our community is make on our world.

Full Agenda Coming Soon…

CommuteCon 2018 will feature speakers from across the private sector, leading research universities, and state and local government. Attendees will have a front-row seat for presentations on the important issues in transportation management including commuter incentives, parking demand management, program development and marketing, employee transportation, tax and regulatory impacts, local and regional economic development, and more.

The program will be full of opportunities to learn what other leading organizations are doing to manage a variety of commuter challenges and build sustainable, smart communities. Most sessions will include a short virtual Q&A period so attendees can engage with the presenters and dig deeper into the issues that matter. Stay tuned at commutecon.com for updates to the agenda and a full list of speakers and sessions.

We hope you’ll join us February 7 for this incredible day. Visit commutecon.com to register to attend the free online conference, and stay up-to-date with additions to the agenda and opportunities to connect with other commuter transportation professionals. In the meantime, if you missed CommuteCon last year, you can catch up with our recorded presentations.

Look at All We Accomplished Together in 2017!

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As we wrap up this holiday season, here at RideAmigos HQ we’re feeling incredibly grateful for the year we’ve had. Our growing community of partners and users are making huge positive impacts on our world.

Together, we’re making a real difference for individuals and communities.
Together, we’re saving more money, burning more calories, and reducing tons of CO2.
Together, we’re changing the way people commute – creating a happier, healthier future for everyone.

Check out what we accomplished during 2017:

RideAmigos partners have accomplished so much!

RideAmigos 2017 Impact Snapshot

To all of our partners: thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are so grateful for the opportunity to support your success. Thanks for joining in our mission, using our tools, and doing amazing work. Thanks for sharing and learning with each other through the RideAmigos Academy. Thank you for helping us create a better world.

If you’re not a RideAmigos partner or user yet, we hope 2018 brings you an opportunity to join our community.

To make RideAmigos part of your own 2018 success story, get started with us today.

Learning From The TDM Pros: An Interview With Peter Williamson

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Here at RideAmigos we love celebrating the success of our partners and helping others learn from their wisdom!

Peter Williamson is the Employer Outreach Coordinator for the San Luis Obispo Council of Government’s (SLOCOG) commuter program, the Back ‘N’ Forth Club, which supports employers in shifting commuter behavior. Peter is also one of the all-star members of the RideAmigos Academy, where he’s a frequent webinar conversation partner and a leader in our Coffee Talk X initiative.

Peter was recently recognized as one of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) 2017 “Top 40 Under 40.” We sat down with him to learn more about his work helping employers support smart commute choices in their workplaces:

Peter Williamson - SLOCOGRideAmigos: Congrats on your recent award, and on a successful Rideshare Week 2017! I know you’re still crunching numbers and analyzing outcomes, but are there any things you learned from this year’s challenge? Any lessons for next year?

Peter Williamson: The goal of Rideshare Week is to develop an awareness of how we commute and the impact that our commute choices have on our wallets, health, and community. We asked community members to pledge to make at least one smart commute choice during Rideshare Week (October 2-6th) to reduce the number of single occupant vehicles on our region’s roadways. In SLO County, 683 commuters pledged to commute by carpool, vanpool, bike, foot, or bus, and then logged their trips at iRideshare.org.

Our Back ‘N’ Forth Club challenge put employers into two categories: 20+ employees or 60+ employees. The usual suspects (Cal Poly and SRAM) made the biggest impact and won this year’s Rideshare Week Challenge. Our winners receive a paid Best Workplaces for Commuters designation. This award puts our employers on the national map, and provides them with a valuable recruitment tool.

In addition to an online pledge, we asked willing employers to host a roll-up banner that employees could sign. One unexpected outcome was that some employees went outside of the box and expressed mode pride (i.e.: signed Peter – [draw a picture of a bike] 3 x a week!). I would like to do our part to encourage this next year (perhaps by having Lead Super Commuter/ETCs set the precedent).

For the challenge, I want to make it more competitive for Cal Poly, MINDBODY, and all other employers. I hope to accomplish this by mirroring what I did with the county my first year at SLOCOG. This would mean breaking Cal Poly and MINDBODY into sub networks by department. These departments could compete against other employers and departments based on size, making it more competitive for everyone. This effort simultaneously improves program communication at these larger employer sites.

Rideshare Week 2017 Trip Log Stats:

  • 2,749 single-occupant vehicle trips eliminated
  • 39,022 less vehicle miles traveled
  • 9.8 tons of CO2 prevented
  • $12,339 in commute costs saved
  • 156,415 calories burned

RA: As an Employer Outreach Coordinator you spend a lot of time and energy working with organizations to help them promote and support alternatives to solo driving. How do you help employers see the value in promoting alternative commuting options?

PW: The two biggest factors when approaching a new employer are: what is the time/money commitment, and who else is doing it? I take employers through the following outline:

  • What is the expected return on investment for starting a program?
    • Free extension of human resources and benefits
    • Reduced parking demand
    • National and regional recognition
    • Recruit talent from big cities
    • Retain employees that live further away
    • Payroll tax savings
    • Measurable environmental impacts
    • Reduced employee stress and health costs
    • And support for the local community
  • I highlight a few of the many tools, incentives, and services we offer participating employers.
  • I explain different participation designations and similar employers participating in each designation.
  • I ask the employer to nominate a program liaison (Lead Super Commuter / ETC).

RA: Transportation demand management (TDM) programming is obviously a year-round endeavor, but do you have any particularly favorite seasons or annual programs? What makes them your favorite?

PW: Of all SLOCOG/RIDESHARE’s campaigns, nothing compares with the community participation and awareness associated with Bike Month. It’s very well established, likely because our staff used to spend half of the year focused on this campaign. For me it’s valuable because Bike Month is the perfect opportunity to grow employer support of the Back ‘N’ Forth Club. Each year, I’m pushing employers to take their commitment a step further. Spring means employers are calling me, rather than the other way around.

RA: From transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft to autonomous vehicles, technology is rapidly expanding the options people have for transportation. How do you see emerging technologies impacting your TDM programs in the future?

PW: Uber and Lyft have already had an impact locally, whether good (less drinking and driving) or bad (more cars in higher-traffic areas). Our guaranteed ride home policy is very flexible, so we’ve noticed a trend in people selecting Uber/Lyft over the original options of a taxi, rental car, or shuttle. I hope technology continues to make data collection and program enforcement easy. I also hope technology reduces traffic congestion, and does not increase it, the fear being that people send their autonomous cars home to park themselves resulting in twice as many trips!

RA: Any parting advice or morsels of wisdom for someone who is new to this movement of shifting commuter behavior for the common good?

PW: Every day is filled with highs and lows that deliver the inspiration I need to keep moving towards a multi-modal world. What started as training for a 200-mile bike ride has grown into a career and lifestyle full of passion. It takes time to change commute behavior, but with a lot of persistence, passion, and patience, TDM professionals do make a difference. What seems like a dead end now will turn into an opportunity next year!

RA: Thanks for your time, and congratulations again on your recent recognition and all your programs’ success!

PW: Thank you!

We’re proud to count Peter and the whole team at SLOCOG as partners in the RideAmigos family, working together to transform transportation. To learn more about how you can shift commuter behavior more effectively and efficiently, contact us today!

 

Announcing New Commuter Benefit Solutions Integration

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RideAmigos and Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions are teaming up

The RideAmigos team has exciting news: we’re adding new platform integrations with Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions, and we couldn’t be more excited about the ways this will benefit our partners.

Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions is the nation’s only comprehensive commuter benefit solutions provider and number one resource for commuter savings. Since 1985,Edenred has served Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, top third party benefit administrators and the nation’s largest metropolitan area transit authorities.

With its premier solution offerings; Commuter Check, a nationwide commuter benefits program for employers; and WiredCommute, a private label program for third party administrators, Edenred is able to provide a one-stop total solution experience.Edenred’s mission is to make tax-free commuter benefits a staple in employee benefits packages nationwide.

Here’s a snapshot of some key Commuter Benefit Solutions numbers:

  • The company serves more than 12,000 employers representing over 1.9 million
    employees, including many Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 companies.
  • The company also maintains partnerships with over 50 national third-party
    administrators, more than 350 transit agencies, hundreds of bike shops, and over
    5,000 parking locations.

Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions has a strong core focus on managing and delivering both employer and employee-based commuter pre-tax benefits programs. These programs help enterprises generate savings of up to 7.65% per year on their payroll taxes while helping employees generate huge savings on their taxable incomes. They provide extensive support, including dedicated account managers, nationwide coverage, convenient product delivery, and a complete suite of support services.

RideAmigos is proud to be creating connections between Edenred Commuter Benefit Solutions products and our industry-leading commuter management software. Our partnership will give the businesses and organizations that use our platform easy access to one of the world’s most powerful commuter benefit management programs. The goal is to make generating, tracking, and maximizing both employer- and employee-based tax savings as convenient and profitable as possible.

To learn more, check out the recent Coffee Talk webinar we held with Commuter Benefit Solutions to discuss their product and our plans, or contact us directly.

Commuter Incentive Programs

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Discover the value of commuter incentive programs as a behavior change strategy, including how your business or organization can benefit.

Read more

What is a TMA / TMO?

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What is a Transportation Management Association (TMA) /
Transportation Management Organization (TMO)?

A transportation management association (TMA), sometimes known as a transportation management organization (TMO), is an administrative body designed to manage the transportation needs of a particular venue, district, or community. In most cases, TMAs are non-profit organizations, and they are usually controlled by members.

Most TMAs also use partnership models that combine private investment with public resources, thus casting a wider net of stakeholders.

TMAs operate on various scales, with larger-scale organizations holding jurisdiction over entire cities or regions, and smaller-scale associations governing the transportation needs of medical facilities, shopping centers, business districts, or industrial zones, among others. They play an important part in shaping and implementing transportation demand management (TDM) programs with specific objectives that typically include:

  • Single occupancy vehicle (SOV) commuter trip reductions
  • More efficient allocation of parking resources
  • Reducing peak-period traffic levels
  • Shifting traffic to off-peak periods
  • Promoting alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles
  • Improving transportation accessibility and system performance

Member-controlled transportation management organizations are more responsive than most government-run TDM initiatives, since they are not encumbered by administrative red tape and can implement new policies with greater speed and flexibility. They also play a key role in supporting smart growth initiatives and land-use patterns that conform to the mixed-use models being favored by a large number of forward-looking municipalities.

The RideAmigos commuter management platform is an ideal tool for TMA’s

The RideAmigos platform is a valuable ally to TMAs of all sizes, thanks to its proven ability to make smarter modes of transportation more accessible to a broader base of users. Transportation management organizations around the world are now using the groundbreaking RideAmigos TDM software package to:

  • Access network and reporting tools that provide an excellent basis for policy creation and implementation
  • Bring a broader range of sustainable transportation options to a larger number of community members
  • Generate meaningful statistical insights into network-specific transportation patterns
  • Manage parking demand
  • Reduce vehicular traffic during peak periods
  • Create and distribute commuter surveys that help program managers better understand the needs and desires of commuters and travelers

RideAmigos is specifically designed to address the TDM needs of organizations operating in both the public and private sectors, and it has become an indispensable tool for businesses, government agencies, and TMAs across the US.

Do you help run a TMA or TMO that could use a more efficient system for managing your programs and shifting commuter behavior? Get started with RideAmigos today to learn how we can help maximize your impact.

Alternatives to More Parking

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Seeking alternatives to more parking?

Try strategies that get commuters out of single-occupancy vehicles.

Soaring parking demand often puts transportation managers in a difficult spot. In many cases, it isn’t physically possible to add more parking spots. This forces businesses and organizations to consider inconvenient alternatives like offsite parking. Even when it is possible to add more parking spots, doing so is almost always a costly proposition that isn’t likely to generate positive returns in the long run. Thankfully, there are some great alternatives to more parking that can both save money and reduce corporate environmental impact.

The best alternatives to adding more parking are those that get people out of single-occupancy vehicles and into smarter options for getting where they need to go. Here’s a look at the most popular options, along with ways to encourage commuters to use them:

  • Rideshares and carpools: Smart, location-aware ridesharing programs help interested commuters connect and make arrangements to share costs and driving duties.
  • Vanpool programs: Set up vanpool shuttles that link major regional transit hubs to your offices or work sites.
  • Bike to work: Provide bike commuters with route guidance, bikepool buddies, and resources like secure racks, lockers, showers, and “guaranteed ride home” options for stormy weather and unexpected emergencies.
  • Public transportation: Offer free or subsidized transit passes to get people to using buses, subways, and regional light rail trains instead of driving.

Incentive programs that track commuter usage of smart alternatives and reward individuals or groups are also a great way to get people out of their cars and into smarter options.

Of all the available alternatives to more parking, reducing demand is the best. Here’s the most effective strategy:

Parking cash-out programs are a proven method for reducing demand, making them one of the best alternatives to more parking. In a nutshell, these programs offer employees a choice: hang onto your parking spot, or take a weekly/monthly cash payout that represents the amount of money the business pays to rent or maintain the spot.

The reason it works is simple: it makes commuters feel as though they’re giving something up by continuing to drive to work and use a parking spot. When combined with other commuter management strategies, like rideshare matching, incentive programs, and subsidized transit passes, parking cash-outs are even more effective.

The revolutionary RideAmigos commuter management software platform is a great investment for businesses looking to change commuter behavior and cut the soaring costs associated with parking rentals and ownership. Get your organization moving in the right direction – contact RideAmigos today!