New Mexico, Vanpooling Partnership for Commuting

In 2019, the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) launched “NMGo!” a partnership with the rental car company Enterprise to reduce congestion through a vanpooling service for commuters. The program connects employees who live near each other and provides them with a recent-model van or SUV to commute together.

The program currently operates along 36 routes with more than 250 passengers per day. “NM Go!” also helps NMDOT collect data about commuting patterns that will help improve the state’s transportation infrastructure and enhance local and regional mobility. According to NMDOT’s Transit and Rail Director, David Harris, “The average commuting cost for vanpoolers is 50% less than the cost for commuters who travel alone in their vehicles.” And according to Enterprise, for an average commuter travelling 80 miles per day, ridesharing such as vanpooling can save an individual up to $8,700 per year by reducing the cost of tolls, gas, vehicle maintenance and depreciation.

Additionally, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order in 2019 to create new work guidances for state employees, including allowing for alternative work schedules that can help alleviate congestion.

The NMGo! program has taken more than 200 cars off the road each day, and the program aims to grow to more than 650 passengers per day by the end of 2019.

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