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A report by the University of Vermont Transportation Research Center
Increasing Carpooling
in Vermont: Opportunitiesand Obstacles
Report # 10-010 | June 2010
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Increasing
Carpooling
in
Vermont:
Opportunities
and
Obstacles
UVM
Transportation
Research
Center
June2010
Preparedby:
RichardWatts
Contributionsfrom:
NathanBelz
JosephFraker
LaurenGandrud
JenniferKenyon
MelissaMeece
TransportationResearchCenter
FarrellHall
210ColchesterAvenue
Burlington,VT05405
Phone:(802)6561312
Website:www.uvm.edu/trc
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UVMTRCReport#10010
Table
of
Contents
1. ......................................................................................................................................... 3INTRODUCTION
2.CARPOOL OVERVIEWUS&Vermont.................................................................................................... 3
2.1Challenges/HistoricalTrends.............................................................................................................. 4
2.2Opportunities/ReasonstoCarpool..................................................................................................... 7
2.3IncentivestoIncreaseCarpooling....................................................................................................... 8
3.ANALYSISOFVERMONTCARPOOLDATA................................................................................................. 9
3.1GoVermont........................................................................................................................................ 10
3.2Challenges/HistoricalTrends............................................................................................................ 11
3.3Opportunities/ReasonstoCarpool................................................................................................... 16
3.4IncentivestoIncreaseCarpooling.................................................................................................... 18
4.CONCLUSION/FURTHERRESEARCH........................................................................................................ 21
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................................
22
List
of
Tables
Table1.VermontandUScarpool/drivingaloneforthecommutetoworktrip19702008........................ 4
Table2.CarownershipintheUS(19602008)............................................................................................. 5
Table3.CarownershipinVermont(19602008).......................................................................................... 5
Table4.HouseholdSizeOverTime.............................................................................................................. 5
Table5.Distributionoftripsbytrippurpose............................................................................................... 6
Table6.ChoiceofmodetotraveltoworkintheUSandVermont.............................................................. 7
Table7.
Survey
respondents
by
county
......................................................................................................
10
Table8.Surveyrespondentsbyfrequencyofcarpool............................................................................... 10
Table9.ReasonsnottocarpoolchosenbyrespondentstosurveyofGoVermontparticipants............... 13
Table10.ReasonstocarpoolchosenbyrespondentstosurveyofGoVermontparticipants................... 15
Table11.Reasonstocarpoolchosenbyfocusgroupparticipantsinopenendedconversations............15
Table12.Respondentsperceptionoftheimpactofincentives(1=lowest;5=highest)............................ 18
List
of
Figures
Figure1.
Carpool
frequency
vs.
number
of
cars
owned
(%)
.......................................................................
11
Figure2.Milestraveledtoworkvs.carpoolfrequency............................................................................. 12
Figure3.Numberofkidsinhouseholdvs.carpoolfrequency................................................................... 13
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1.
INTRODUCTION
Growthin
car
ownership,
dispersed
land
settlement
patterns,
highway
investments,
travel
behavior
and
socioeconomicchangeshaveallcontributedtoadramaticincreaseinautomobileuseintheU.S.over
thelast80years.1Theresultinghealth,environmentalandenergyimpactsrelatedtoautomobile
dependenceareofconcerntopolicymakersintheUSandVermont.2Proposedsolutionsrangefrom
increasingtheuseofpublictransportation,walkingandbiking,shiftingvehiclefuelsfrompetroleumto
othersourcesorevenencouragingchangesinthebuiltenvironmenttoreducecartrips.3
Oneproposedsolutionistoincreasethenumberofpeopleineachvehiclewhichdoesnotrequire
extensiveinvestmentofpubliccapital,relyinginsteadontheexistinginfrastructureandalreadyowned
privateautomobiles.4Carpoolingcanincreasepersonalmobility,accesstoservices,reduce
environmentalandinfrastructureimpacts,reduceindividualtransportationcostsandsaveenergy.For
example,averagevehicleoccupancyratesintheUSforworktripsareabout1.1pervehicle,downfrom
1.3in
1977.
Slight
increases
in
the
number
of
people
per
vehicle
could
provide
the
same
energy
savings
asswitchingtoanalternativefuel,withoutbuildingnewfuelingstationsormakinganynewadditional
investments.5
However,thepercentageofcommuterscarpoolinghassignificantlydecreasedsince1980both
nationallyandinVermont.Factorsinthatdeclineincludeincreasingcarownership,decreasesin
householdsize,changesintravelbehavior,therelativelylowcostofenergyandothersocio
demographicchanges.Thepurposeofthisresearchistoexaminepotentialobstaclesandopportunities
toincreasingcarpoolingforthejourneytoworkcommuteinVermontandprovideresearchbased
informationforstatepolicymakersregardingprogramsandpoliciesdesignedtoincreasecarpoolingin
Vermont.6
ThisresearchisjointlyfundedthroughtheVTransEfficientTransportationSystemsprojectandtheUVM
TransportationResearchCenter(TRC)SignatureFocusAreaTransportationEnergyandSystem
Efficiency.Inthisreport,wefocusontheGoVermontprogramastatemanagedridesharematching
programasawindowintotheobstaclesandopportunitiestoincreasingcarpoolinginVermont.We
conductedaninitialsurveyof370GoVermontparticipantsandthenconductedfourindepth
conversationswith25ofthoserespondents.ResearchersalsoreviewedGoVermontmaterials,previous
researchoncarpoolingandexamineddatafromtheUSCensusandNHTSdataontravelbehavioratthe
individualandhouseholdlevel.
2.
CARPOOL
OVERVIEW
US
&
VERMONT
ResearchershavestudiedcarpoolingasamodechoicesinceWorldWarII,whenoilandrubber
shortagesnecessitatedfrugalpersonaltransportationhabits.7Asaresultoftheoilcrisisinthe1970s,
19.7percentofcommutersreportedcarpoolingastheirmodetoworkinthe1980Census.8By2000,
however,thispercentagedroppedto11.2percent. Duringthissameperioddrivingalonetowork
increasedfrom64.4percentin1980to75.8percentin2000.9ThenumbersaresimilarforVermont,
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carpoolingpeaked25percentofworktripsin1980andhasdecreasedtofewerthan11percent2006
08.
PrivateautomobileuseisthedominantformoftransportationinVermontandtheUS,accountingfor
84.7%ofalltripstoworkinVermont.10Anyexaminationofworktripshastostartwiththebasic
understandingthatthesingleoccupancyvehicle(SOV)isthedominantmodeoftransportationand
alternativessuch
as
carpooling
have
to
be
as,
or
more
attractive
than
driving
alone.
Table1 VermontandUScarpool/drivingaloneforthecommutetoworktrip19702008
1970 1980 1990 2000 200608
CarpoolUS 11.7% 19.7% 13.4% 10.6% 10.9%
CarpoolVT 15.2% 25% 13.7 11.9% 10.9%
DrovealoneUS 66% 64.4% 73.2% 75.8% 74.3%
DroveAloneVT 61.8% 55.9% 76.8% 75.2% 74.30%
Source:USCensus.20062008datafromtheAmericanCommunitySurvey.
2.1Challenges/HistoricalTrends
Anumberoffactorshavebeenassociatedwiththedeclineincarpoolingandtheincreaseindriving
alonesincethe1980s.Inthisstudywefocusonsixfactorsthatresearchershavefoundtohaveastrong
correlationbetweenincreasedprivateautomobileuseandthedeclineinsharedtrips;1)increaseincar
ownership,2)decreaseinhouseholdsize,3)urbanform/landuseandsettlementpatterns,4)costof
fuel,5)travelbehaviorand,6)incentivesanddisincentivessuchasthecostsofparking.Wepresent
nationalandVermontdataexaminingeachofthese.
Increasein
car
ownership:
Researchers
believe
there
is
astrong
correlation
between
the
number
of
vehiclesahouseholdownsandvehiclesmilestraveledbyeachhousehold.Asvehicleownershiprates
haveincreased,carpoolingandtheuseofpublictransportationhasdecreased.Incomeandcar
ownershipisstronglyrelatedashigherincomepeoplearemorelikelytoownmorecars.Becausethe
majorityofthefixedcostsofowningacarareallocatedtothepurchaseandmaintenanceofthecar,
gasolinecostsarearelativelysmallportionofthecostofcarownership,typicallyunder10percent.11
Carownerstendtoseethethecostoftravelasrelativelyminornotaccountingthefixedcostofcar
ownershipaspartoftheirdailytravelcosts.Since1960,thenumberofhouseholdsintheUSwithouta
vehiclehasdroppedfrom21.5percenttolessthan9percent(chartbelow).
Atthesametime,householdswithtwocarshaveincreasedfrom19percenttoalmost38percentand
threecarhouseholdshavegrown8fold.VermontscarownershipratesarehigherthantheUSaverage
andhave
seen
similar
increases.
For
example,
census
data
indicates
that
5.7
percent
of
Vermont
householdsarewithoutvehiclescomparedto8.8percentnationally.Overall,in2009,thenumberof
vehiclesregistered(568,468)wasslightlymorethanthenumberofregistereddrivers(509,317).12
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Table2.CarownershipintheUS(19602008)
20062008 2000 1990 1980 1970 1960
NoCar 8.8% 10.3% 11.5% 12.9% 17.5% 21.5%
1Car 33.2% 34.2% 33.7% 35.5% 47.7% 56.9%
2Cars 37.9% 38.4% 37.4% 34.0% 29.3% 19.0%
3or
more
cars
20.0%
17.1%
17.3%
17.5%
5.5%
2.5%
SOURCE:USCensusBureau;www.census.gov
Table3.CarownershipinVermont(19602008)
20062008 2000 1990 1980
NoCar 5.7% 6.8% 8.0% 10.3%
1Car 32.9% 33.6% 34.1% 42.2%
2Cars 41.8% 43.1% 42.3% 33.5%
3ormorecars 19.6.0% 16.4% 15.6% 14.0%
Householdsizeanddemographics:Atthesametimeascarownershiphasincreased,householdsizehas
decreasedleadingtoreducedopportunitiesforhouseholdbasedcarpools.Researchsuggeststhat
householdbasedcarpools(sometimescalledfampools)areonethirdtothreequartersofall
carpooling.13Onestudyfoundthecorrelationbetweenanincreaseinautoavailabilityandadecreasein
householdsizeaccountedfor38percentofthedeclineincarpoolingfrom1970to1990.14Othersocio
demographicsfactorsthatresearchhasfoundtoberelatedtothedecreaseincarpoolinginclude
increasesinfemalesinthelaborforce,increasesinsinglepersonhouseholdandincreasesinaverage
householdincome.
Ashouseholdsizedecreases,carpoolingratesdecreasebecausetherearelessinhouseholdoptionsfor
carpooling.Vermontsdeclininghouseholdsizeandhighcarownershipratespresentamajorbarrierto
policymakers
seeking
to
increase
carpooling
in
the
state.
Table4.HouseholdSizeOverTime
20062008 2000 1990 1980 1970 1960
Vermont 2.37 2.42 2.44 2.57
US 2.61 2.6 2.59 2.63 2.75 3.11SOURCE:USCensusBureau;www.census.gov
Costoffuel:Ascarownershiprateshaveincreasedandhouseholdsizedecreased,energycostshave
decreasedinrealdollarsandvehicleefficiencyhasincreased.Thedeclineintherealmarginalcostof
motorfuel
and
an
increase
in
vehicle
fuel
economy
contributed
to
34
percent
of
the
decline
in
carpoolingbetween1980and1990.Inconstantdollars,energycostspergallonoffuelaresimilartothe
costoffuelin1980.Andasthecostoffuelhasstayedlevel,vehicleefficiencyhasimprovedsothat
Vermonterscantravelthesamemilesusinglessfuel.
Urbanform/settlementpatterns(densityofwork,densityofhome):Increasedsuburbanizationand
dispersedlandusesettlementpatternshavealsocontributedtothedecreaseincarpooling.Because
worktripcarpoolsaredestinationorientedtheyaremostsuccessfulinemploymentareaswithahigh
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numberofemployeesand/orahighdensityemployeesettlementatthepointoforigin.15Researchers
havefoundthatcarpoolformationanduseisparticularlysensitivetoindividualcompositional
characteristics(e.g.gender,ageandincome),residentialspatialcontext(theaccessibilityofanindividual
tobematchedtoothercarpoolusers),mobilitystatus(numberofhouseholdautomobiles)andthe
attitudestowardcost,theenvironment,andthevalueoftime.
Inapreviousstudy,TRCresearchersuseddatafromtheE911databasetoidentifyplacesinVermontwithemploymentandresidentialdensityabovethe57housesperacreconsideredtheminimum
necessaryforpublictransportation.Researchersfoundonly15geographicallocations(communities
suchasBurlington,Montpelier,St.Johnsbury,Rutlandetc.)witheithertheemploymentorresidential
densitythatcouldsupporttransit,andpotentiallybyinference,carpooling.16(SeeTRCreport)
Travelbehavior:Thechangeinurbanformhasbeenaccompaniedwithafundamentalchangeintravel.
Wheretheworkcommutetripwasoncetheprimaryvehicletrip,todaylessthan18percentoftotal
tripsaretowork.Instead,manytripsarenowmadefromworktootherplaces,ortripsaremadeina
sequencethatisdifficultforcarpoolingparticularlywhenthedestinationsandemploymentcenters
arebroadlydispersed.
TheNationalHouseholdTravelSurvey(NHTS)measurestravelbehavioratthehouseholdlevelforall
purposes,notjustcommuting.In2001,thesurveydataindicatedtheprominenceoffamilyandpersonal
tripsandthecontinueddeclineoftheworktripasapercentoftotaltrips.
Table5.Distributionoftripsbytrippurpose
Family/personalbusiness 44.6%
Social/recreational 27.1%
Workandworkrelated 17.7%
School/church/other 10.6%
Total 100%Source:
The
2001
National
Household
Travel
Survey,
daily
trip
file,
US
Department
of
Transportation.
Attitudes:Studieshaveidentifiedindividualattitudesasanexplanatoryvariableforwhypeoplechoose
tocarpoolornottocarpool.Carpoolingrequiresmoretraveltimeinordertopickuptheothercarpool
members(forexternalcarpooling)andaconveniencereductionstemmingfromconflictingschedules.
Theperceptionsofcarpooling(e.g.constraintsonindependence,socialrequirementsandinterpersonal
rapport)havealsobeenfoundtoplayalargerrolethancostorconvenience.17
Forsome,theanonymityofusingtransitisfarmoreappealingthantheinducedsocialclimateof
carpooling.Althoughcarpoolsaremorespatiallyflexibleandlesstimeconsumingthanpublictransit
options,theyareoftenperceivedtobemoretimeconsumingbecauseoftheneedtopickupanddeliver
memberswhich
can
lead
to
concerns
about
becoming
involved
with
and
dependent
on
strangers.
18
.Solodriversfindcarpoolinglessconvenientduetoschedulerigidityorbecauseofirregularshifthour
worklocation.Commutersmayalsobelesslikelytoshifttheirmodechoicewhentheyhaveestablished
habitsandassociatecarpoolingwithalossofprivacyandindependence,particularlyiftheyneeda
vehicleduringtheworkday.
sor
19
Inaseparatestudy,TRCresearcherslookedattheroleofsocialcapitalinenablingsocialnetworksthat
wouldincreasecarpooling.Inthatstudyresearchersexaminedhowsocialnetworkscanbeusedby
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policymakerstomakeridesharingmoreappealingtoagreaternumberofpeopleforawidervarietyof
trippurposes.Specifically,researchersexaminedthreesocialnetworkbasedridesharingservices;
HinesburgRides(Hinesburg,Vermont);FrontPorchForum(Burlington,Vermont);GoLoco(Universityof
NewHampshire,Durham,NewHampshire);andtheHourExchange(Portland,Maine).
Socialcapitalis,atitscoreaseriesofconnectionsandrelationshipsbetweenindividualmembersofthe
society.Dependinguponthestrength,quality,andextentoftheseconnectionsandrelationships,social
capitalenablespeopletobuildtrust,establishnorms,andformsocialnetworks,whichcanthen
promotesharedcommunityobjectives,forexampleridesharing.
Socialnetworksarethemanyindividualgroupsthatourconnectionsandrelationshipsareorganized
intoincludingourfamily,ourfriends,ourcoworkers,ourneighbors,ourcarpoolgroup,aswellasthe
civic,political,religious,andprofessionalassociationsthatwebelongto. Whilesomenetworksoverlap
e.g.afewofourfriendsmayalsobecoworkersmanyarediscretee.g.noneofourneighborsare
coworkers. Yet,manyofthemareavailabletousintimesofneed. Inaddition,socialnetworks
formalizetheconnectionsandrelationshipsamongandbetweenindividualswithinthenetwork,
regardlessof
how
informal
or
unstructured
the
network
is.
Norms
within
networks
give
people
guidelinesonhowtoact,puttingpressureonpeoplewithinthenetworktocomplywiththenorms.
Twoofthemostimportantnormsfromasocialcapitalperspectivearetrustworthinessandreciprocity.
Thisisbecauseifpeoplegenerallytrusteachotherandsharenormsofreciprocity,thentheriskofthe
otherpartyactingfraudulentlyordefaultingontheirobligationsislowered.
Researchersinthatstudypositedthatahighlevelofsocialcapitalcouldbehelpfulinovercomingthe
obstaclestoridesharing. Forexample,highlevelsoftrustcouldhelpdecreasethefearofgettingintoa
strangerscar. Bybuildingbridgingsocialcapitaltiesi.e.reachingouttoindividualswhobelongto
differentgroupsridesharingpoolscouldbecomesufficientlylargeenoughinordertoovercomethe
difficultiesinfindingsuitablematches. Concernoverrestrictionsinflexibilitycouldbeassuagedif
cooperationandreciprocitybetweencommunitymemberswereconsideredunalterablenorms.
Thesocialnetworkspresentedinthatstudyofferedalternativemodelstothetraditional,standalone
ridesharingplatforms. Inordertoattractmoreridesharers,traditionalplatformscanbeembeddedinto
asocialnetworkorridesharingcanbeaddedtoanexistingcommunitybasedsocialnetwork.Inthat
study,theTRCresearcherssuggestedthatgovernmentsupportneighborhoodbasedsocialnetworks,
whichinturnwouldfacilitateridesharing.However,inthisstudyweareexaminingatraditional
platform theStateofVermontsGoVermontRideshareprogramwhichisfocusedonincreasing
ridesharinginVermont.TheresultsfromtheTRCsearlierstudyinthisareaareavailablethrough
contactingtheTRC.Weturnnowtoananalysisofthatprogramandtheobstaclesandopportunitiesfor
increasingridesharing
in
Vermont.
2.2Opportunities/ReasonstoCarpool
Despitemanyformidableobstacles,bothsocialandphysical,manyAmericansstillchoosetocarpool.
Carpoolingissecondafterdrivingaloneasthemodeofchoicefortravelingtowork,abovewalkingand
publictransportationinboththeUSandVermont.
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Table6.ChoiceofmodetotraveltoworkintheUSandVermont
US Vermont
Drivealone 75.8% 75.2%
Carpool 10.6% 11.9%
Transit
4.9%
.7%
Workathome 4.0% 5.7%
Walk 2.8% 5.6%
Other 1.7% .9%Source:USCensus2000
Ingeneral,tripmodechoiceisbasedontravelcost,traveltime,convenience,andotherintangibleor
nontravelrelatedfactors(EPA1978),andfewsociodemographicvariableshavebeenfoundtobe
reliablepredictorsofwhowillcarpoolforjourneytoworktrips. Householdswithlowerincome,lower
automobileavailability,andmultipleworkershavebeenshowntobemorelikelytochoosecarpooling.
Carpoolersareusuallytravelingsignificantlyfartherdistancesthanthosewhodrivealone20although
trip
time
might
be
the
same.
21
In
terms
of
spatial
factors,
it
is
suggested
that
carpool
users
tend
to
trafurtherthanSOVdriversindicatingthatthechoicetocarpoolisdrivenbylocationanddestination
andthatatraveldistanceof10milesisthepointatwhichcarpoolingbecomesappealing.
vel
22Saving
money,eitherthroughreducedgascostsorreducedwearandtearonvehiclesisoftencitedasthefirst
reasontocarpool.InonestudyinTexas,carpoolersweremotivatedprimarilybytheabilitytosave
moneybecausetheycouldusetheHOVlanes.Othermotivationsfoundintheresearchliteraturefor
carpoolingincludelackofautoavailabilityandemployerbasedincentivesordisincentives(e.g.costof
parking).
Still,mostresearchershavefoundthatevenwithapparentlinksbetweenthesevariablesand
carpooling,attitudinalrelationshipsareastrongexplanatoryvariableforcarpoolingpropensity.For
example,researchershavefoundthatsocialmotivationisoneattitudethatfosterscarpooling.
Carpoolersenjoy
each
others
company
and
see
the
carpool
conversation
as
away
to
relax
and
unwind
afteradayatwork.Researchershavealsofoundthatconcernsabouttheenvironmentareasecond
factorthatcausespeopletobemotivatedtocarpool.
2.3IncentivestoIncreaseCarpooling
Anumberofstrategieshavebeenintroducedtoinducecommuterstocarpool.Thesestrategiesinclude,
butarenotlimitedto,ridesharematchingservices,carpoolparkinglots,inadvertentorartificial
reductionofparkingandotheremployeepromotedactivitiessuchasacarpoolcoordinatorandthe
creationof
aworkplace
environment
that
supports
carpooling.
23
Manycarpoolprogramsnowoperatethroughemployers,suchastheBestWorkplacesforCommuters
(BWC)program,avoluntarygovernmentindustrypartnershipwhosegoalistoreducevehicleemissions
andtrafficcongestionbyencouragingemployerstoofferacomprehensivepackageofemployer
commuterbenefitsaspartofemployeebenefitpackages.24WhileprogramssuchasBWCofferasuiteof
incentivesforemployeeswhochooseacommutemode(i.e.transit,walking,bicycling)otherthan
drivingalone,somearespecificallygearedtowardcarpooling,includingbutnotlimitedtoparking
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incentives,employeerewardprograms,flexibleworkinghours,guaranteedridehomeservicesanduse
ofacompanycarduringworkinghours.
Researchismixedontheabilityofincentivestomotivateemployeestojoincarpools.Onestudyfound
thatcarpoolerswhocitedsavingmoneybehindotherreasonsforoptingtocarpoolwerestillmorelikely
tostopcarpoolingwithoutemployerincentives,manyofwhichwerefinancial.25Beforeimplementinga
carpoolprogram,coordinatorsoremployersmustrememberthattheincentivesforemployeestoutilizeacommutemodebesidedrivingalonemustofferbenefitsaboveandbeyondthoseinherentlyinvolved
intheirchoice,beitcycling,walking,transit,orcarpool.26
Chargingforparking,i.e.creatingadisincentivetodrivealonetoworkmaybeaseffectiveasany
incentivesthatemployerscurrentlyoffer.Onestudyfoundthat20percentofautomobiledriverswho
nowparkattheiremployersexpensewouldbeinducedtojoincarpoolsorbeginusingtransitforthe
triptoworkiftheywerechargedfortheparkingtheynowreceive.27However,employersmaybe
reluctanttochangeparkingpoliciesifitposesarisktotheirabilitytohireorretainqualityemployees.28
Switchingtocarpoolingislessappealingthandrivingalonewhencommutersliveorworkinareaswith
minimalcongestionandwhereparkingisinexpensiveOntheotherhand,combiningincentiveswith
employerbased
education
and
matching
programs
was
found
to
reduce
driving
alone
by
715
percent
in
anothercasestudy.29
However,incentiveprogramsmayonlyawardexistingbehaviororswitchtransitcommuterstocarpools.
30Onestudyfoundthat50percentofsurveyedindividualsparticipatinginadiscountedcarpoolparking
programwerealreadycarpoolingfortheircommutebeforeobtainingthecarpoolparkingpermit.31
Employeeswhoparticipateincarpoolingprogramsonaparttimebasisposeanadditionalchallengeto
measuringtheeffectivenessofacarpoolingprogramanditsincentives.
Asummaryofincentiveprogramsfoundthatacarpoolprogramsgreatestchanceforsuccessoccurs
whenthetravelneedsofboththeemployerandemployeesareassessedonanindividualbasis;
employers
can
motivate
employees
to
change
their
commuting
behavior
but
have
to
address
individual
travelneeds.32
3.ANALYSISOFVERMONTCARPOOLDATA
Weturnnowtoananalysisoftwosetsofdatagatheredforthisproject,aninitialsurveyofGoVermont
participantsandindepthconversationswith25surveyrespondents.Asnotedearlier,carpoolingin
Vermontdeclinedinthe1980sand1990s,levelingoffatabout11percentoftheworkcommute.
ObstaclestocarpoolingidentifiedinotherstudiesareasstrongorstrongerinVermontthaninmost
otherstates.
Car
ownership
rates
are
above
national
averages,
household
size
is
below
the
national
average,thestateisruralwithfewpocketsofemploymentandresidentialdensityrequiringaspatial
arrangementoftravelthatmakescarpoolingdifficult.Despitetheseknownobstacles,Vermontersare
carpoolingandsomesubsetofthepopulation,basedonthecontinuedgrowthoftheGoVermontride
sharedatabasewantstodomore.
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3.1GoVermont
GovernorJamesDouglasestablishedGoVermontin2008,meldingdisparatestateandlocalrideshare
andastatevanpoolsubsidyprogramintotheGoVermontnetwork,explainingitthiswayinhis2008
addresstotheLegislature;Themilestraveledarenttheproblem;thewaywetraversethemis.Asgas
pricesclimb,manyaretakingasecondlookatfuelefficientcarsandtrucksandalternativestosingle
occupancytrips.
Thats
why
Ipropose
GoVermont,
athree
pronged
approach
that
provides
cost
effectivetransportationalternatives,promotesthedevelopmentandavailabilityofcleanerburning
biofuelsandpushesforincreasedvehicleemissionsstandards.33
GoVermontisthestatesprimarymechanismtopromotealternativestosingleoccupancyvehicle
trips.34Theupgradedwebsite(http://www.connectingcommuters.org/)featuresinformationonstate
sponsoredvanpools,ridematchingservicesandacalculatorformeasuringeconomicandenvironmental
impactsofdrivingalone.VTranscontractedwithSpikeAdvertisingtopromotethewebsiteandintends
toallocateabout$350,000totheprograminthecomingyear.35Thewebsiteispresentlyexperiencing
3400hitsamonthwithabouthalfofthoseclickingthroughtothecarpoolingmatchingservice.Overth
lastfewyears,morethan2800Vermontershaveregistered.Thosesubmittingtheirnamesarematche
withpotentialcarpoolingpartnerswithidenticalstarttownsandendtowndestinations.Theservic
registeringamatch
rate
of
23
percent
since
October
2009.
Registered
carpools
in
the
GoVermont
programareallowedtouseaguaranteedridehomeservicewhereataxiisprovidedtogivethema
ridehomeifcarpooldifficultiesarise.
e
d
eis
Inthisreport,wefocusontheGoVermontprogramasawindowintotheobstaclesandopportunitiesto
increasingcarpoolinginVermont. CarpoolersmatchedthroughtheGoVermontprogrammayrepresent
onlyasmallpercentofongoingcarpoolsinVermont,howeversomeexistingcarpoolersmatched
throughtheirworkplace,familyorfriendsarealsosubmittingtheirnamestotakeadvantageofthe
guaranteedridehomeprogram.36Inanearlierstudy,TRCresearchersgeocodedthestatedoriginsand
destinationsof2,813ridersintheGoVermontdatabaseusingtheArcGISprogram.Thisinformationwas
usefultoidentifycommonrideshareandtravelroutes(SeeVTransEfficiencyreportPhase1). Following
onthat
work,
in
this
study,
we
submitted
an
electronic
survey
to
1809
GoVermont
registrants
of
which
370responded.Ofthose370,25voluntarilyparticipatedinanindepthconversationatoneoffour
discussionsessions.Respondentswerepaid$20.00forparticipating.
SurveyData:Apluralityofthe370respondentswasfemale(55%)and45%commuteonaveragemore
than30milestowork.Almosthalfoftherespondents(45%)werefromChittendenandWashington,
withalmosttwothirds(65%)fromthosetwocountiesplusLamoilleandFranklin.Employmentlocations
wereconcentratedinBurlington,Essex,andMontpelierandalongtheI89corridor.Themajor
employerscitedwereIBMandVermontstategovernment.ApluralityofGoVermontregistrantsare
fromtheSt.Albans,BurlingtonandMontpeliercommuteshedandChittenden,FranklinandWashington
countiesThiswastrueofthesurveyrespondentsaswellasthelistthesurveywasdrawnfrom.
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Table7.Surveyrespondentsbycounty
County
GoVermont
(1809)
Survey
respondents
(370)
Focusgroup
participants
(25)Chittenden 27% 26% 45%
Washington 17% 20% 21%
Franklin 10% 13% 4%
Lamoille 6% 6% 4%
Total(offulllist) 65% 65% 74%
Wegroupedhalfoftherespondentsintoaregularcarpoolcategorytocontrasttheirbehaviorwith
thosewhodontcarpool.However,alloftheserespondentsshareaninterestincarpooling,presumably,
becausetheysubmittedtheirnamestotheGoVermontridematchingservice.
Table8.Surveyrespondentsbyfrequencyofcarpool
Frequencyofcarpool Numberofrespondents Rarely/NeverCarpool Regularcarpoolers
Never 115
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spatiallandusepatterns,travelbehavior,costoffuel,attitudesandemployerbasedincentivesand
disincentivessuchasthecostofparking.
CarOwnership:Carownershiphasastrongcausalrelationshipwithsingleoccupancyvehicleuseand
autodependence.Themorecarsahouseholdowns,thelesslikelyhouseholdmembersaretowalk,use
transitorcarpool.Vermontersowncarsatahighrateandthispresentsastrongobstacletoincreasing
carpooling.Surveyrespondentswithfewercarsweremorelikelytocarpoolthanthosewithmorecars.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
0 Cars 1 Car 2 Cars 3 or more
Cars
%O
fSurveyParticipants
Rarely/Never Carpool
Carpool
Figure1.CarpoolFrequencyvs.NumberofCarsOwned(%)
Asonerespondentwhosharedonecarwithherhusbandsaidoftheircarpoolhabits.
Myhusband
and
Iare
naturally
frugal.
We're
cheap!
Its
just
part
of
our
nature.
We
minimizeourtripsintotown. Wedoubleuptripsintotown.andsothisisjustan
extensionofthat. Thisisjustanextensionofournaturalfrugality.
Urbanform/settlementpatterns(densityofwork,densityofhome):Residentialsettlementpatterns
andemploymentcentersinVermontaredispersed,althoughthereareemploymentconcentrationsin
Burlington,Montpelier,RutlandandatlargeemployerslikethestatecomplexinWaterburyandtheIBM
manufacturingplantinEssex.Thenumberofpeopleintheworkplace(orthedensityofthearea
surroundingtheworkplace)anddensityofthetownoforiginisakeyfactorinenablingcarpooling.
Carpoolmatchesareoftenmadeattheworkplace.Inourfocusgroups,carpoolerswerefarmorelikely
to
have
met
their
fellow
carpoolers
through
the
workplace
or
through
friends.
Only
two
of
the
25
found
carpoolmatchesthroughthestatematchingprogram.(Oneotherfoundavanpoolprogramthroughthe
website).Oneresearchstudy(Ingetal)foundthatonly28percentofcarpoolmatchescomethrough
publicmatchingservices.Mostcarpoolmatchesarefamily,friendorworkplaceoriginated.
Vermontslackofdensitymakesitdifficulttofindsuitablematches.Notedonestateworkerwhofound
amatchthroughherworkplace:
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ThisismyfirsttimeactuallycarpoolinginallmylifeIfeelveryluckyLivinginarural
areathough adirtroad,abackroad,andconnectingwithsomebodytomakethat
workisvery,veryhardinVermont. It'snotlikeeverybodylivesaroundthemaindrag
andeverybodycanmatchup. It'sachallenge.
Or,saidanotherwhohadrecentlymovedtoVermont:
ThebiggestissueIvehadwithmovingtoVermontisitssucharuralareathatImnot
surehowbigthecompanyyouworkinis,butwithmebeinginatinycompanyyou
knowmypoolofpeopleyouaskistinyandthenevensmallerthanthatisfinding
somebodythatsmakingthattripandtherearesomanypeoplecomingfromsomany
differentplacesthatitshardfindingsomebodythatsonyourschedule.
Thechallengeoffindingamatchwasidentifiedbysurveyrespondentsasthesecondlargestobstacleto
carpooling.Morethanhalf(51%)oftotalrespondentscheckedaboxthatsaiditwashardtofindother
tocarpoolwithfrommylocationtomydestination.Perhapsthechallengeisbestrepresentedbyone
participantwhohasbeenunabletofindamatchdespiteworkingatthestateslargestprivateemployer
andastated
willingness
to
be
extremely
flexible:
IvebeenontheStatedatabaseforlikefiveyearsandhavenohitsandtalkedtothem
personallyacoupleoftimesSomyexperienceisthatI'vebeentryingtogetsomeoneto
carpoolandmyschedulecanbekindofflexible. Icangoplusorminustwohourson
eachend. AndsomedaysIcanworkathome,too,soIcanbeflexiblethatway. ButI
haveahardtimehookingupwithanyonetocarpoolwith.
Atthesametime,thedistancesVermonterstraveltoworkmayalsobeanincentivetocarpool.
Researchershavefoundthattravelingabovetenmilesmakescarpoolingmorelikely.Resultsfromthe
surveysuggestthatdistanceisafactor,butataboveacertaindistancetheinabilitytofindmatchesmay
inhibit
the
formation
of
carpools.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
1-5 miles 6-15
miles
16-30
miles
31-45
miles
More than
45 miles
%o
fSurveyParticipants
Never/Rarely Carpool
Carpool
Figure2.MilesTraveledtoWorkvs.CarpoolFrequency
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Sociodemographics/householdsize/income/education:Researchershavefoundthenumberof
childrenandthenumberofadultsinahouseholdeffectspeopleswillingnessandabilitytocarpool.
Childrenunder16addtotheobstaclestocarpoolingbecauseofschoolandotherchildrenrelatedtrips.
Whereas,additionaladultsaddtocarpoolingoptions.Surveyrespondentswithchildrenunder18were
lesslikelytocarpool.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0 kids 1 kid 2 kids
%o
fSurveyParticipants
Never/Rarely Carpool
Carpool
Figure3.NumberofKidsinHouseholdvs.CarpoolFrequency
Almost12percentofrespondents(11.7%)identifiedtheneedtodropofforpickupkidsasanobstacle
tocarpooling.
TravelBehavior: Changesintravelovertime,primarilythereductioninthecentralnatureofthework
tripandtheincreaseinothertrips,suchasrecreationalandsocialtripshaveimpactedcarpooling.
Surveyrespondentsidentifiedthetripstheyhadtomakeduringandfollowingtheworkdayasthemajor
obstacletocarpooling.Asmentionedabove,thisshowsupintheresponsesinneedingacartorun
errandsaftertheworkday,topickupanddropoffchildrenandtheneedforacarduringtheworkday.
Table9.ReasonsnottocarpoolchosenbyrespondentstosurveyofGoVermontparticipants
Needtorunerrandsduring/attheendoftheday 53.5%
Hardtofindotherstocarpoolfrommylocationtomydestination 50.9%
Easiertodrivemyownvehicle 31.3%
Myjob
requires
driving
during
the
day
17.6%
Needtodrop off(orpickup)kidsonthewaytowork 11.7%
Parkingisavailableatwork 6.2%
Ratherdrivealone 5.5%
Dontlikesharingmycarwithstrangers 2.2%Source:GoVermontTravelsurvey
Focusgroupparticipantsechoedthosecomments:
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Ifyoudriveintowork,youfeellikewhenyou'rereadyevenifyoudohavesethours,
youhavethefreedomtogetinalittlebitearlieroralittlebitlater. Youcanrunoutfor
lunchorwhatever. Soit'sbeenalittlebitchallengingformenothavingavehicledown
here.
Tofindpeoplethathavethesamescheduleisjustsometimes weallleadsuchcrazy,
busylives,youknow. Wehavetostopatthegrocerystore,atthepharmacyor
whateverandsometimesitstinks. Its(carpooling)notfeasible.
Costoffuel,costsavings:Thedecreaseinenergycostshasbeenidentifiedasoneofthereasonsforthe
declineofcarpoolinginthe1980s.InVermont,gaspriceshit$4.09agalloninJuly2009,declinedinthe
winterof20092010andremainwellbelowthe2009peak.Callstorideshareprogramsincreaseasfuel
costsincrease.37Increasedfuelcostswerenamedbyfocusgroupparticipantsasthetopreasonthat
wouldmotivatethemtocarpoolmore.
Asonerespondentsaid:
Ifgaswasfivedollarspergallon,youbetIwouldcrawlacrosscutglasstofindacarpool
partner.Iwouldrefusetopayfivedollarspergallonforgastodriveoutthere.
Anothersaid:
I'mthinkingyouhavetogonegativesotospeak. Youhavetomakethecostsof
everybodydrivingbyhimorherselfhigherthanitisnow. Ifyouwanttodrivethe
economics,soyouneedtostartchargingparkingfees.Andthengivetheincentivesto
thosewhocarpool.
Attitudes:
Studies
have
identified
individual
attitudes
as
an
explanatory
variable
for
why
people
choose
nottocarpool.However,alltheparticipantsinthisstudyarethosewhohaveindicatedadesireto
carpoolbysubmittingtheirnametothestatematchingservice.Still,attitudinalissuesidentifiedinother
studiesdidappear.Forexample,participantstalkedaboutneedingtheprivacyoftheirowncar.
IamreallyanintrovertandIenjoycoffeeandpoptartandmymusicinthemorningon
thewayinandthethoughtofgettingtoknowsomebodyforanhourrideinandoutwas
justalittleoverwhelmingpersonallyformyself.
Anotherwomannotpresentlycarpoolingsaid:
IfeelweirdedoutbymeetingandgettinginacarwithsomeoneIdon'tknowand
driving45
miles
outside
of
town.
You
know
what
Imean?
Like
Idon't
know
how
much
peoplearescreenedandsomepeoplemayhavethoseinhibitionswherethat'smaybe
whytheydon'tsignupforthecarpool. Itsjustbecauseyoureallyjustdon'tknowwho
you'regoingtogetinthecarwith.
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3.3Opportunities/ReasonstoCarpool
Previousresearchsuggestsindividualscarpooltosavemoney,becauseoflimitedaccesstoacar,forthe
convenienceoverothermodes,becauseofsocialandenvironmentalattitudesandbecauseofincentives
anddisincentivesofferedbyemployers.Allofthosereasonsareapparentinthesurveyandfocusgroup
responses.InananalysisconductedfortheGoVermontprogram,amarketingfirmfoundthreeprimary
reasonsVermonters
carpool;
they
lack
access
to
acar
either
in
the
short
run
or
by
choice,
to
save
moneyandforthesocialaspects.Trailingthosethreereasonsistoprotecttheenvironment.38
Inthisstudy,surveyrespondentscitedsavingmoneyfirstandtheenvironmentsecond.However,focus
groupparticipantsinconversationidentifiedsavingmoneyfirst,socialreasonssecond,theenvironment
thirdandnotwantingtodrive/ownacarlast.Note,surveyrespondentswerenotgivenasocialrationale
tochoose,otherthanmakesmefeelgoodwhichmayexplainthelowerprominenceofthisreason
amongtheirchoices.
Table10.ReasonstocarpoolchosenbyrespondentstosurveyofGoVermontparticipants
Savesmoney 84.3%
Saveswear
and
tear
on
the
vehicle
65.3%
Goodfortheenvironment 65.3%
Convenience 21.9%
Makesmefeelgood 21.9%
Idontliketodrive/Idonthaveacar 9.2%
Limitedparkingatwork 7.3%
EmployerbasedincentivesSource:Carpoolsurvey.N=181.
Table11.Reasonstocarpoolchosenbyfocusgroupparticipantsinopenendedconversations
Savesmoney 35.3%
Socialreasons
25%
Goodfortheenvironment 20%
Notdrive/usecar 15%
SavesMoney:GoVermontestimatesthataconsumerdrivingacargetting25mpgwouldsaveabout
$2,000ayeariftheycarpooledonaregularbasis.Savingmoneyeitherthroughreducedgasolinecosts,
orwearandtearonthevehicleisthefirstreasonpeoplecarpool,GoVermontmanagersbelieve.That
perceptionissupportedbytheanalysis.Savingmoneywasnamedasthetopreasontocarpoolbothin
thelargersurveyandinthefocusgroupsdiscussions.39
Saidone
participant:
GasisnotcheapandIhaveagasguzzler,whichIloveandI'mnotreadytogetridofit. And
thewearandtearonyourcar that'sanotherthing.
Addedanother:Ilikecarpooling.It'shelpedthewearandtearonmycaraswellsavinggas.
Thelackofaccesstoacarwasadiscussedafewtimesinthefocusgroups.
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AcoupleoftimesIhavecarpooled.Andpartofitiswhensomebodycontactedmeand
theysaidtheydidn'thaveacar. ItriedtoRideShare,youknow. Iwrotethem. Nobody
gotbacktome. Ikepttryingtocontactthem.Andthentheysaidyes,wewillgetback
toyou,butnobodygotbacktomesoactuallyIendeduptakingthepersonbecausethey
livedaroundmyhouse
Attitudes:Researchershaveidentifiedsocialandenvironmentalattitudesaskeyfactorsincarpool
formation.
Forexample,onthesocialside,thisfemaleparticipantsaid:
Itssomuchnicerthattravelgoesfasterwhentheresanotherpersontochatwith.
Especiallywithme,likesinceImtravelingwithfriends,likeitsmeandabunchofother
30somethingfemaleswhoIsugarwith. Youknow,likewehavealottotalkabout.
Oraddedanothercarpooler:
Sowedohavealotofconversationsthatareworkrelatedthatreallyhelpussort
throughsomeoftheproblemsthatwehavewithinourowndepartments. So,thatwas
thesurprisetothecarpoolingformeandIreallymisstheirfriendshipandImisstheir
conversationswhenI'monmyown.
Anotheradded:
It'sreallynicetojustcatchupinthemorningwithpeoplethatyoudon'tworkallday
withandit'sreallygreatwhenyoucarpoolwithdifferentpeoplebecauseyougettosee
whattheyareupto,howtheirlifeisgoingandit'snotalwaysaboutwork.
Itsnotjustsocialaspectsitsawaytorelaxafteralongday.
WhenImdoingit,I'mdoingitforpuresenseofself.AfterI'veputinareallylongday
atworkandI'vegottenupatfiveo'clocktogetreadyforworktomeetthecarpoolby20
aftersixtobehereby6:30andIgetafter...I'mtiredanddayinanddayoutitjustwears
onmepersonally. SowhenIcarpooltheinteractionwithotherpeople,thejokingwe
arelikeLasVegas whatwesayinthecarpoolstaysinthecarpool.
Environment:Participantsalsoaddedenvironmentalreasonsasareasonforcarpool,buttheywere
neitherasprominentorasfrequent.
Asone
participant
said:
ItsniceyouknowIfeelguiltdrivingthisbodyandyouknowtwoandahalftonsof
steelandglasstowork. Theamountthatsandsittingalotofitjustidling,whichis
zeromilespergallonintraffic. Thatjustseemsobscenetome. SomaybeI'ma
littlemaybeImalittlebitshamedintowantingtocarpool,too. Itjustseemssuchan
efficientwaytodothings.
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Advocatesforcarpooling:Participantsinthestudyareclearlyinterestedinandmotivatedtocarpool.
Theorganizationaleffortsthatindividualsgothroughtocarpoolonaregularbasisareremarkable.At
oneendofthespectrumisagroupofteacherswhohavebeencarpoolingfor15yearstotheschool
systeminWashingtonCounty.TwodriversmeetattheRichmondparkandrideloteveryday,following
adetailedmonthlyschedule,wheretheother78individualsjointhem.Carsleavetheworkplaceattwo
differenttimesallowingearlyandlatedepartures.Carpoolrulesdictatemembersareontimeorareleft
behind.Partofthesuccessofthecarpoolistheorganizingskillsoftheleaders.However,thiscarpoolalsobenefitsfromotheroptionsavailablethroughtheworkplace.Forthosewhocantmeetthecarpool
thereareseveraloptionsforridesbacktotheRichmondparkandride,eitherwiththeLinkExpressor
withotherstaffintheschoolsystem.Asoneoftheparticipantssaid:
Wehaveournormsbasically. Thecarpoolleavesatseveno'clockwhetheryou'rethere
ornot. Ifyouneedsomebodytowaityoudbettercallthem. Mostpeoplearriveat6:50
between6:50and6:55. Thefirstcarthatsfullleaves.Andyouknowyoudbetterbe
waitingifthecarpoolthatyouwanttogoinhomeinisleavingat3:15youneedtobe
thereat3:15. Ithastobe.Thereusedtobe...whentherewerefewerofus whenthere
werethreeorfourorfiveofus wecouldbemuchmoreflexible,butwhenwegot
beyondone
car
it
just
you
have
to
it's
the
driver's
rules
as
far
as
the
driver
says
youre
leavingthatswhenyoureleaving. Ifyoucantleaveatthattimeorifsomething
comesout,there'sthebus.
Anotherthreadrunningthroughtheseconversationswastheeffortthatcarpoolersgotofindfellow
carpoolers.Forexample,oneparticipantsaidthisisherresponsewheneversheisintroducedtoanew
employeeatherworkplace.
Iwouldntsayyouknow,I'mlikeopenlyadvocatingforit,butifIhearsomeonewho
livesinMontpelierorBarreorWaterburylikemyfirstquestiontothemistoyouwantto
carpool?Areyouinterestedincarpooling? Sowhentheopportunitypresentsitself,I
definitely
inquired
to
see
if
there
is
a
way
that
they
can
join
us.
Saidanother:
Thepoolisjustsoshallow. ImeanatonepointIactuallygotamagneticsign apiece
ofmagneticmaterialtoputonthebackofmytruckandwroteonitthatsaid,carpool
everyday,figuringwhenI'mdrivingdownRoute12,everybodythat'sdrivingatthe
sametimearemy that'smymarket. Youknow,thepeoplethatIseebothways soI
hadasignthatsaidlookingtocarpoolandanemailaddress. Ididn'tgetasinglehit,
butandthenusingthewebsite,there'sonlyonepersonandit'sreallynotagoodfitat
all.
Oneparticipant
considered
following
someone
home
and
asking
them
to
carpool.
I'veseenlikethesamevehiclegoingdowntheroadandI'msureyouseeit,too,onyour
commutes.AndI'vealmostlikethoughtaboutfollowingthemhome. ButIdon'twanttobe
arrestedforbeingastalker. Itmightbealittlebittoomuch.
3.4IncentivestoIncreaseCarpooling
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Theimpactofcompanyincentivesonindividualcarpoolingbehaviorisunclearbasedonthesurveyand
focusgroupconversations.Participantsmentionedincentivesgenerallyasonefactorbutnotthe
decidingfactorintheirdecisiontocarpool.Atthetopofthelistforfactorsthatwouldincrease
carpoolingisasharpincreaseinfuelpricesandmoreavailablecarpoolmatches.Examiningemployer
basedincentives,theemergencyridehomeprogram,aparkingcashoutprogramanduseofacompany
carduringthedayplacedinthetoptierofincentives.Thereducedparkingfeesdidnotrankhighlyat
3.45,possiblybecausemostbusinessesdontchargeforparking.Recognitionmayinfactbeadisincentivejudgingbythestronglowresponsebyallrespondents.
Table12.Respondentsperceptionoftheimpactofincentives(1=lowest;5=highest)
GasPrices Gaspricesincreaseto$5.00agallon 4.95
GasPrices Gaspricesincreaseto$4.00agallon 4.5
Carpoolpartners Individualswholivenearyouandworknearoratyouroffice 4.45
GuaranteedRideHome Employerorserviceprovidesaguaranteedridehomeif
neededduringdayorafterworkdayorreimbursesfortaxiride
4.35
Carpoolmatchingservice servicefindsoutwhoisgoingwhereandfindsasuitable
matchfor
carpooling
4.3
ParkingCashOut Workplaceprovidedcashtoindividualswhocarpoolacertain
numberofdaysaweek
4.25
Useofcompanyvehicleduringday Employeescanuseavehiclethatisownedby
thecompanyforerrandsduringtheday
4.25
Flexibleworkhours Carpoolersareallowedflexibleworkinghoursiftheycarpool 4.15
Vouchertoretailoutlet Carpoolersreceiveavoucherworth$10toretailoutlets,
localrestaurants,everyweek
4.15
Useofcompanyvehicleforcarpool Employeescanuseavehiclethatisownedby
thecompanytocarpooltoworkin
4.15
ParkandRideLots Statefundedlotstomeetfellowcarpoolers 4
Gas
Prices
Gas
prices
increase
to
$3.00
a
gallon
3.95
CarpoolCoordinator Thisindividualorganizeslogisticsofcarpoolandriderswithin
youroffice
3.95
NoParking Unlessyoucarpool,youareunabletoparkyourcaratwork 3.85
PrizeDrawing Peoplewhocarpoolareenteredinweeklydrawingtoreceiveprize 3.85
PreferredParking Carpoolersreceiveparkingspotsclosertoworkentrance 3.6
ReducedParkingFees Carsbroughttoworkbycarpoolersarechargedlessfor
parking
3.45
Recognition Peoplewhocarpoolarerecognizedincompanymaterialssuchas
newsletters,etc.
2.6
VermontEmployerbasedincentives:AnumberofVermontemployersofferincentivestotheir
employeestocarpool.Weconductedaninformalsurveyofcarpoolincentivesatseveralofthe
employerswheresurveyparticipantswork.Forexample,whilerespondentsrepeatedlymentionedthe
difficultyoffindingcarpoolpartnersseveralemployersprovideconfidentialcarpoolmatchingservices
throughtheworkplace,e.g.UVM,ChamplainCollege,FletcherAllenHealthCareandARC.Other
employersprovidegiftcardincentivesforregularcarpoolers.Severalemployersofferguaranteedride
homeprogramsandsubsidizedbusservice,suchasUVMandChamplainCollege.Inasurveyof
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employeesatUVM,16.8percentreportedcarpoolingin2008,althoughthesurveyisbasedonthose
choosingtorespond.40NationalLife,whichhasanumberofsuccessfulcarpools,offerspreferential
parkingandfundstowardsgasolineforthosewhocarpoolatleastonceaweek.Notablealsoarepolicies
offeredbytwoVermontcompanies,NRGSystemsandResourceSystemsGroup(RSG)toencourage
carpooling,walking/bikingtoworkandtheuseofmoreefficient/highmileagevehicles.
Parking:Parkingcameupanumberoftimes,andtheresearchsuggestssubstantiallyraisingthepriceofparkingormakingitunavailablewillincreasecarpoolingandtheuseofothermodes.
Inonecasetherelationshipbetweenparkingandcarpoolingwasclear.
Beforewebuiltournewbuildingwehadonly53parkingspacesandwehad90
employeessotherewasnochoice. Ifyoudidn'tgettherebeforeeighto'clockinthe
morning,youdidn'tgetaparkingspot. Andsothatreally...wedidgreatoncarpooling!
Nowwehaveenoughparkingspacesforeveryemployee. Weputinanotherbuilding
andthetownrequiresthatyouaddacertainamountofparkingspaces. Andnowwe
haveenoughparkingspacesandourparticipationisdown.
Themostfrequentcarpoolerinthegroup,whocarpools5daysaweek,eventhoughshelivesonlythree
milesfromtown,citesthehighcostofparkingindowntownBurlingtonandthesubsidizedbuspasses
offeredbyheremployerasthereason.Sheeitherridesthebusorhercarpoolgoestotheinterceptor
lotonPineStreetandtheemployerpaysforthetriptotheworkplaceontheCCTAshuttleeveryday.
Icarpoolfivedaysaweek. AndeventhoughIonlylive3milesfromtown,it'sactually
beengoodinacoupleofways. Wedotaketheparkshuttle,buttherearefouror
sometimesfivepeopleinmyneighborhoodandwegettogetherbecauseweallhaveto
comeintownatthesametime.Andweparkattheparkshuttlelotandourcompany
actuallysubsidizesit,soit'sfreeforustopark.
Flexiblescheduleisanincentivethathasbeenidentifiedasimportant.Mostoftherespondentstothis
surveyhaveaflexiblescheduleorcouldrequestone.Respondentssaidthatworkplacesaregenerally
supportiveofcarpoolingexceptinonecasewheretheemployerhasstressedworkingextrahourstoget
thejobdone.
Thatattitudejustchangedeverybody'sfocusandnowit'slikesomethingyoudon'ttalk
aboutyourcarpool. Youknow,much,it'sanundergroundsortofthing.
ParkandRidelots: Parkandridelotsareseenashighlyconvenientgatheringplacesforcarpoolsto
meetbecausetheyprovidecentrallylocatedmeetingplaces,andtransitandotherpickupanddropoff
options.Concernaboutthecapacityandsafetyoftheseplaceswasraisedrepeatedly.Ofconcernto
policymakers
should
be
several
comments
about
commuters
who
stopped
carpooling
because
of
issues
relatedtoparkandridelots.
Whentheytookthataway(theWillistonparkandridelot)theRichmondparkand
ridebecamecompletelycongested. Itwasalittletriangleofmudunderthebridgeandit
startedoff,youknow,withmaybe10ofusandthen20andthenwewereparkingonthe
streetsandthenwhentheybuilttheparkandride stillnoWillistonparkandride. Now
peopleareparkinganywheretheycanpossiblyfit onthegrassinRichmond.
20
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Addedanotherparticipant:
Iactuallyknowafewpeoplethatstoppedcarpoolingbecauseofthatexitbecausethe
parkandrideisjust thereisnowheretoparkyourcar.Anotherrespondenttalked
aboutthelackofsafetyataparkandrideinFranklinCounty.Thechallengeswere
leavingmycarattheparkandridewhereIliveandonecargot thefrontsidewindow
gotsmashedandthenanothervehicle,somebodytookoutthefrontbumper...Sothat's
partofwhyIdon'tlikecarpoolingtoomuch.
Althoughcovertlotsandmeetingplacesexistaroundthestate,thosealsopresentuserswiththeir
ownchallenges:
IntheBurlingtonarea Icouldn'ttellyouoneparkandrideupthere.AndsotheStaplesPlaza
endsupbeingaparkandride.Andthewholetime,youknow,Ididthatforayearandevery
morningI'dlikecreepoutofmycarandhopenobodynotices.
4.
CONCLUSION/FURTHER
RESEARCH
StrongobstaclesexisttocarpoolingintheUSandinVermont,includingratesofcarownership,
householdsize,dispersedlandsettlementpatterns,changesintravelbehaviorandattitudinalvariables.
Despitethis,carpoolingremainsthesecondmostusedmodefortravelingtoworkafterdrivingalone.
Carpoolingreliesontheexistingvehiclefleetandtheexistingroadsystemandinfrastructure.Increasing
vehicleoccupancyratesthroughincreasingcarpoolingonthejourneytoworkcouldmakeasubstantial
contributiontoreducingenergyusedintransportationandreducecoststoVermonters.
ThisanalysisofasubsetofVermonterscarpooling,orwhowanttocarpooldrawnfromtheGoVermont
databaseisexploratoryandbasedonselfselectedrespondents.Alogicalnextstepwouldbetoconduct
acomprehensiveevaluationoftheGoVermontprogram,drawingastatisticallyrepresentativesampleto
understandmorefullytheeffectivenessoftheprograminpromotingcarpooling.
Similarly,manyofthecarpoolsinVermontarenotrepresentedintheGoVermontdatabase,asmany
areeitherfamilycarpoolsorinitiatedattheworkplace.ThejointpurchaseofanNHTSaddonby
VTrans,CCMPOandtheTRCrepresentanopportunitytoconductfurtheranalysisofcarpoolpatternsin
Vermont.Additionalinformationaboutthespatial,demographicandattitudinalfactorsthatcontribute
tocarpoolinginVermontwouldprovideessentialinformationtopolicymakers.
Oneobstacletocarpoolingraisedinthisstudyisthecapacityandamenitiesatseveralparkandridelots
alongtheI89corridor.
TheGoVermontprogramshouldfocuspromotionalactivitiesinFranklin,Chittenden,Lamoilleand
Washingtoncounties.GoVermontregistrantsinthosecountiesandalongtheI89commuteshedmay
havethegreatestopportunitytofindcarpoolmatchesatoriginanddestinationpoints.
21
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22
Supportingandcoordinatingwithemployerbasedcarpoolprogramsshouldbeonestrategyofthe
GoVermontprogram.
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Personalcommunication, RossMcDonald,GoVermontprogrammanager.35
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Personalcommunication, RossMcDonald,GoVermontprogrammanager.37
Personalcommunication, RossMcDonald,GoVermontprogrammanager.38
Ibid,Spikememo39
Personalcommunication, RossMcDonald,GoVermontprogrammanager.Spikememo.40
CATMA2008FallTransportationSurvey.
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