The Northern Neck Rideshare Program

Rideshare Initiative to form a "Workforce Shuttle" in Lancaster County

From: The Northern Neck Rideshare Program --- www.NeckRide.org
Date: 14 July 2008
Contact: Vonnie S. Reynolds, 804-333-1900
Subject: Rideshare Initiative to form a "Workforce Shuttle" in Lancaster County

Higher gas prices are affecting everyone, especially residents and workers of rural areas like the Northern Neck, most of whom must drive long distances to get anywhere.

Every outing---to the grocery store, work, post office, doctor, day care, school, etc.---is a trip of several miles above what it would take in an urban setting, where residents also have more transportation options, like public transit and the widespread use of carpools and van pools.

When it comes to transportation costs, some workers, particularly those whose wages are at the lower end of the scale, are beginning to do the math and realize they'd be better off staying home and quitting their jobs.

As a result, the Northern Neck Rideshare Program is contacting several large employers in the region (beginning with those located in Lancaster County) to explore the possibility of joining forces to create a "Workforce Shuttle," sharing and lowering the expense of getting employees to and from work.

The Northern Neck Rideshare Program is a service of the Northern Neck Planning District Commission---a regional government agency working with the four counties of the Northern Neck on planning and development issues, including transportation. The Program also works with Bay Transit toward the improvement of transportation options for the Northern Neck community.

For those employers who are interested in participating in the creation of an affordable shuttle service, the Rideshare Program has set up an online questionnaire (at www.neckride.org) to submit general information such as work locations, shifts, counties from which workers commute, etc.

The data will go into a database to generate location maps and see which shuttle route will serve the largest number of employees. Once that is established, all participants will have to agree on how to finance the service.

In the meantime, individual commuters can also contact the Rideshare Program at (804) 333-6683, or visit www.neckride.org, to find existing van pools or carpools to match their routes and schedules.

A recent "USA Today" headline announced: "High gas prices threaten to shut down rural towns." It's unlikely such dire consequences will come to pass in the Northern Neck, but it makes sense to plan for the worst. The "Workforce Shuttle" initiative is a modest step toward helping local businesses avoid having to shut down because their employees can no longer afford to get to work.

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