Brandeis launches new carpooling program for faculty, staff and students

Brandeis has launched a new carpooling service called Commute Green.

The service — which is also available through a mobile application called CommuteTracker — will enable Brandeis community members to connect with one another to share rides to and from campus.

Using Commute Green can help a user save on fuel, open up more parking spaces on campus and minimize fossil fuel emissions.

Brandeis joins a number of other peer academic institutions, including MIT, Harvard University, American University, Stanford University, along with companies like Google, Hulu and Amazon, in taking this new approach to carpooling.

“Hundreds of faculty, staff and commuter students make several single-occupant vehicle trips to campus every week, complicated by varying schedules and responsibilities,” said Brandeis sustainability manager Mary Fischer. “Commute Green allows you to find a potential carpool, whatever your schedule.”

Community members will be able to share rides, find ways to campus via multiple routes like biking, walking and busing, and also see on an interactive map the locations of bike racks, bike pumps and bike repair stations.

In partnership with the Department of Public Safety, six carpool parking spaces will be designated on campus starting this week. Faculty, staff and commuter students who currently hold parking permits may apply for a carpool parking pass online. Details about how to obtain and use the carpool parking pass, as well as all other related details, are available online.

Faculty and staff will be able to connect only with faculty and staff for ridesharing, and students will connect only with other students. Only individuals with a brandeis.edu email address can use the site. Faculty and staff who participate are eligible for the MassRIDES Emergency Ride Home program.

The success of this program depends upon attracting a critical mass of users. The more people who sign up to “request a carpool," - a commitment-free way for commuters to indicate they are interested in occasionally sharing rides - the easier it will be to find other commuters in their area.