It’s never too late to switch up your commuting methods. Rethinking your commute is a good idea that can save you time and money, as well as positively impact the environment. CIRTA-Commuter Connect is here to help you find customized commuting solutions, reduce your individual carbon footprint, and increase your community connection through alternative transportation. We went ahead and compiled a few effective strategies you can use to improve your commute.
Get started with ridesharing
Driving a single occupancy vehicle (SOV) in traffic every day can cause you stress, plus, it’s expensive and bad for the environment. Ridesharing helps reduce the number of vehicles on the road and lowers your fuel consumption. Instead of spending roughly 50 minutes (the average commute time in Central Indiana) alone on the road, you could join a carpool using Commuter Connect’s carpool matching service. Sign up on our website and you’ll be matched with other workers in your area looking to share the ride. Your carpool schedule can be as flexible as you need, and you can coordinate with your matches to determine how often you’d like to ride to work together. Commuter Connect also offers vanpooling services for larger groups. By teaming up with others to get to work through ridesharing, you can transform your commute to be more convenient and environmentally friendly.
Ride the Bus
Choosing the bus for your commute relieves you of the stress of driving in traffic. If you’re on a budget, buses are also an economical alternative to driving your own vehicle. Options for commuting by bus in Central Indiana include fixed-route bus service, door-to-door providers, and CIRTA Workforce Connectors. Workforce Connect, a CIRTA service, provides two shuttle services to worksites in North Plainfield and Whitestown. At 5:10 a.m. each morning, shuttles depart from stops on Washington and Delaware in downtown Indianapolis to go directly to worksites. The rest of the day, the shuttles pick up at IndyGo stops and head to worksites. Rides are $1 each way. Choosing the bus or Workforce Connectors for your commute is simple, cost effective, and sustainable!
Bike to get there
If you choose to bike for your commute, know that biking is safe in Central Indiana with more open bike lanes than ever throughout the region. Taking a bike to work can improve your physical and mental health, and choosing a mode of transportation that doesn’t cause carbon emissions improves the quality of the air in your area. You can use your own bike or take advantage of the Indiana Pacers Bikeshare program. Commuter Connect’s free Bike Buddies program is also a great resource if you need assistance with planning your route to work, bike parking, or transporting work items. You’ll be matched with an experienced cyclist, who’s been trained by Bike Indianapolis to assist you as you get started!
Already carpooling, taking the bus, or biking to work? You may be eligible for Commuter Connect’s Emergency Ride Home program offered by participating employers. If you need to leave work unexpectedly or your way home falls through, Commuter Connect will provide you with a free taxi ride to wherever you need to go up to five times in one year. Reach out to CIRTA-Commuter Connect at info@cirta.us if you have questions about the Emergency Ride Program or any of our other services.
