Commuting together could solve Austin’s traffic headache
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Bikes, public transportation, company sponsored shuttles, but what about carpooling? With more than 100,000 people working downtown, it could a commuter’s best option.
The City of Austin calculates about 75 percent of MoPac drivers ride alone.
Riding solo is not how husband and wife Brandon and Rachel Somers choose to operate. They recently started riding to work together.
"I get to do my makeup," Rachel said. "And if you're listening to talk radio, then you have someone to shout with and share an opinion."
Brandon says he doesn’t mind riding with his best friend either--it saves money, gas and is safer too.
"All because I'm a passenger on the way home, I don't have to worry about being unsafe on the phone or whatever," he said.
A nonprofit called Movability Austin surveys downtown employees to see if they'd consider carpooling like the Somers. Most people are into the idea, but just don't have a way to find someone else they could ride with.
Movability found that out of 221 Cirrus Logic employees, 76 percent drive in alone, yet 25 percent live really close to other employees.
"You may have employees that live a block or two apart, but don't know they're going to roughly the same place," Glenn Gadbois with Movability Austin said.
Since most of us rely on our phones for everything, there will be an app to help you find a carpooler. It's called RideScout and it hits the Apple store next month.