In 2018, we targeted dedicated employers in our program that represent more than 350,000 employees in the community and can make a big difference in shifting the way people are traveling to and from work.  When employers registered on our website, they were given an e-toolkit to help promote carpooling, vanpooling and transit at their worksites.  The toolkit included printable posters, power point slides, sample email blasts to employees and promo codes for discounted rides.  Employees were encouraged to take a pledge to share the ride during this week.

In 2018, we partnered with our regional transit agencies, San Diego MTS and the North County Transit District (NCTD) as well as rideshare companies such as Uber, Lyft and Waze Carpool to offer disunited or free rides during the week.  All transit rides in the San Diego region were free on Tuesday, October 2.  As part of this promotion, Uber and Lyft also offered $5 off any rides to/from any transit stop in the San Diego region.   Waze Carpool offered free rides to everyone in San Diego County for the entire week. We also used our social media channels to encourage other employers to participate, employees to take the pledge, and to hold contests. Facebook posts and ads generated more than 177,000 impressions with 106 new page likes. Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn generated more than 17,000 impressions. 

During this week, 91 of the largest employers in San Diego officially registered to promote Ridshare Week at their worksites.  29 of those employers had never participated in Rideshare before with 12 employers coming from SANDAG member government agencies. Employees pledged to take 207,000 miles off area roadways by sharing a ride during the week.  In the weeks leading up to Rideshare Week, we held 36 events at employer sites to show employees exactly how they can share the ride. 

All of this resulted in the most successful ride share campaign to date.  Region wide, transit ridership was up by 15% with more than 404,000 transit trips taken on the free ride day.  Uber and Lyft reported 382 trips taken from transit stops where people entered the special promo code to receive the $5 discount.  In addition, Waze Carpool reported a 36% increase in completed carpool trips with 650 taken during the week.  Even more impressive was that the momentum continued the following week with even more Waze Carpool trips taken in the region with 703 completed trips made.