For thousands of Hays County residents, getting to work or school in Austin and back home often means mornings and evenings spent in traffic on one of Central Texas\u2019 busiest corridors: I-35.<\/p>\n
As the region continues to grow and construction adds another challenge to the daily commute, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO<\/a>, is helping drivers find options to make the trip a little easier.<\/p>\n Launched in September, CAMPO’s We Ride I-35<\/a> program connects Kyle and Buda residents with carpool partners traveling similar routes to Austin, reducing driving costs and stress. Participants can earn $5 per day by logging eligible rides.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to provide another tool for people to get around on a daily basis to share rides if they can and when they can,\u201d Doise Miers, CAMPO community outreach manager, said.<\/p>\n What does CAMPO do in Central Texas?<\/p>\n CAMPO is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization<\/a> for Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.<\/p>\n The organization is responsible for long-range planning to meet the region\u2019s transportation needs. CAMPO is currently planning through 2050<\/a>, considering not only roads but also transit, walking, biking, carpooling and emerging technologies that could help Central Texans get where they need to go.<\/p>\n CAMPO also considers when people travel, strategizing ways to help reduce demand during the busiest times of day.<\/p>\n Miers said CAMPO explores new transportation tools in a fast-growing region like Central Texas, where commuters\u2019 needs can outpace available funding and the speed at which new infrastructure can be built.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019ve got 100 people a day moving into a region that is already kind of busting at the seams, we\u2019re not going to be able to plan and build and implement quickly enough,\u201d Miers said.<\/p>\n What is the purpose of the We Ride I-35 carpool program?<\/p>\n Hays County\u2019s rapid growth has put more drivers on the road between the Kyle-Buda area and Austin. At the same time, construction<\/a> along I-35 in South Austin into downtown can make an already busy commute more challenging.\u00a0<\/p>\n We Ride I-35 helps commuters navigate those challenges through carpooling\u2014one piece of what transportation planners call transportation demand management, or finding ways to make better use of the transportation network that already exists.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re definitely getting creative and using all the tools possible because the region is just growing so much,\u201d Miers said.<\/p>\n How does the We Ride I-35 program work?<\/p>\n We Ride I-35 is designed to make finding a carpool partner simple for Kyle and Buda residents traveling into Austin. Here\u2019s how to get started:<\/p>\n Fill out the ride-matching form: Commuters visit <\/a>www.WeRideI35.org<\/a> and provide information about their typical commute.<\/p>\n Let CAMPO find potential matches: CAMPO connects Kyle and Buda-area commuters who are traveling toward Austin along similar routes.<\/p>\n Connect with carpool partners: Once CAMPO identifies a match, the organization will put the potential carpool partners in touch.<\/p>\n Coordinate with the carpool group: Carpool members decide when and where to meet, who will drive and other details based on their individual schedules and needs.<\/p>\n Log eligible carpool trips: Participants can log their rides on the CTX Go<\/a> app and earn $5 per day through the city of Austin\u2019s carbon-reduction grant funding.<\/p>\n Miers said the carpooling program complements CTX Go<\/a>, which is a partnership of regional transportation organizations to provide information about lane closures, construction and other travel impacts so commuters can navigate the region while major transportation projects are underway.<\/p>\n How can carpooling improve quality of life and transportation access?<\/p>\n Sharing rides can mean dividing gas expenses, vehicle wear and repair costs among multiple people, as well as taking turns behind the wheel so commuters can avoid the stress of driving every day.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s one of, I feel like, our biggest daily stressors is getting into the car,\u201d Miers said. \u201cSo if you’re able to do it with people, you can read a book, you can listen to a podcast \u2026 you don’t always have to be the driver.\u201d<\/p>\n Carpooling also increases accessibility to travel, one of CAMPO\u2019s long-term goals<\/a>. It helps those who don\u2019t own a vehicle, don’t have a license or are otherwise unable to drive access jobs, education and medical appointments farther from home.<\/p>\n It can even create connections along the way. Miers said she remains friends with people she previously met through carpool rides into downtown Austin.<\/p>\n Share the ride, simplify the commute<\/p>\n CAMPO plans to learn from the program as Kyle and Buda residents begin participating. Eventually, Miers said the approach could provide a model for similar efforts elsewhere as Central Texas continues to grow.<\/p>\n For now, the goal is to encourage commuters to explore their options as construction and population growth continue reshaping travel along I-35 in Austin.<\/p>\n Kyle and Buda commuters interested in finding a potential carpool match can visit <\/a>www.WeRideI35.org<\/a>. Learn more about CAMPO and its regional transportation plans at www.campotexas.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n A quick recap FAQWhat is CAMPO?<\/p>\n The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO, coordinates long-range transportation planning for Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties. Its planning considers roads, transit, walking, biking, carpooling and other strategies for meeting Central Texas\u2019 changing transportation needs.<\/p>\n What is the We Ride I-35 program?<\/p>\n We Ride I-35 is a CAMPO program that connects Kyle and Buda-area commuters with potential carpool partners traveling similar routes toward Austin. The program is designed to give residents another commuting option as the region grows and construction continues along I-35.<\/p>\n How can Kyle and Buda commuters find a carpool through We Ride I-35?<\/p>\n