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chapter four
Survey Results: Ridesharing Within Non-Transit Agencies
Non-transit agencies often operate ridesharing programs, environmental concerns, and increased access to businesses
either in coordination with or independent of transit agen- and services.
cies. This chapter summarizes the survey results of non-
transit agencies to determine how they interact and coordinate
Ridesharing Services Offered
with transit agencies, what services they offer and why, and
how they measure the success of their efforts. The most
Non-transit agencies offer a variety of ridesharing services,
common measurement is the number of people subscribed
including guaranteed ride home programs and subsidies and
to the ridesharing services. As with the public transit agen-
incentives to encourage ridesharing. The most common ser-
cies, non-transit agencies consider filling service gaps
vices, according to survey results, are carpool and vanpool
to be an important reason for their involvement in ride
matching and marketing to businesses. A full list of services
sharing programs. The chapter concludes by highlighting
is outlined in Table 12.
the challenges non-transit agencies face when they seek to
coordinate their services with public transit. Two non-transit It is worth noting that although non-transit agencies offer
agency programs have also been highlighted with agency- a range of services, only 38% (5 of 13) actually market their
specific profiles. ridesharing services to transit riders. (In contrast, one-half of
transit agency respondents reported they do so, as shown in
Non-transit agencies include COGs, MPOs, state DOTs,
chapter three.)
and TMAs. Thirteen of the 41 total survey respondents iden-
tified themselves as non-transit agencies (see Figure 6). A The following is an example of a full-service ridesharing
little more than half of the non-transit respondents (seven) program sponsored by a MPO, the Metropolitan Transporta-
reported that they operate the ridesharing program for their tion Commission (MTC), in the San Francisco Bay Area.
area, whereas 31% (four) noted that a transit agency oper-
ates the program. More than 75% said they meet with public
transit agencies to plan or coordinate services. Profile: Metropolitan Transportation
Commission Leverages Ridesharing and
The non-transit agencies serve a wide range of geographic Transit in the San Francisco Bay Area
areas, including single employment sites and entire states
MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating, and financ-
(see Figure 7). More than half said they serve regional areas,
ing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. Cre-
whereas almost one-quarter serve counties.
ated by the state legislature in 1970, the agency is guided by
a 19-member policy board comprised of 14 commissioners
Motivating Factors appointed by local elected officials, two regional agency rep-
resentatives, and three nonvoting members representing state
Non-transit agencies cited many reasons they think ride- and federal agencies.
sharing and transit should work together. All but one non-
transit respondent, for example, indicated that filling service Ridesharing is one of the services MTC manages through
gaps was an important reason. More than three-quarters of the San Francisco Bay Area's 511 Traveler Information Pro-
respondents reported that market demand from customers gram (see Figure 8). In addition to ridesharing, the program
was important. One respondent added that it is important to provides coordinated information about the public's travel
"present all commute options to workers, so they can select choices, including traffic, transit, and bicycling. The 511 Pro-
the travel mode that best suits their needs." Another said gram is a partnership among MTC, Caltrans, the California
ridesharing forms a "dependable back-up solution in `emer- Highway Patrol, many of the region's transit and paratransit
gency' situations or unplanned events (e.g., transit strikes, operators, county congestion management agencies, and the
bridge/highway closures, natural disasters, etc.)." Bay Area Air Quality Management District. The program
provides traveler information to the public by means of the
Table 11 also shows additional reasons cited by non- federally dedicated information phone number 511 and the
transit agencies, including improved access to public transit, website 511.org.
