South Florida is home to the 5th most congested roadways in the nation. This should come as no surprise to local commuters, who spend an average of one hour and 48 minutes to travel a route that should only take 30 minutes.
While the cost of traffic congestion can take a big bite out of commuters’ time and budget, there are more options than ever before to ease the burden of commuting through alternative modes of transportation.
To educate and encourage commuters to try modes of transportation other than driving alone, South Florida Commuter Services, a program of the Florida Department of Transportation and its transportation partners, are hosting the South Florida Commuter Challenge: University Edition, during the week of November 6th to the 17th, 2017.
The goal of the Challenge is to reduce traffic congestion by increasing alternative mode usage and lowering the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road. Improving traffic conditions in this way will reduce the time and expense associated with commuting, improve air quality throughout the region, and lower the impact of traffic on infrastructure. Participants will have the opportunity to win great prizes!
Joining the Challenge is easy! Simply download the free RideFlag mobile app from the App Store or Google Play to log alternative mode trips.
The app will allow you to set your route and mode type and prompt you to “tap in” and “tap out” as you begin and end your commute. You may set trips manually or select from Google Transit recommendations. Trips can be scheduled in advance and on a recurring basis.
The app will also display the real-time personal cost savings and environmental impact of your logged mileage.
The Challenge runs from November 6th to 17th, 2017.
The Challenge is open to individuals 18 years of age or older who work or go to school in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, or St. Lucie counties.
In order to participate, individuals will be required to provide an active email address and will need access to a GPS-enabled smartphone or tablet. All personal information submitted to South Florida Commuter Services will only be used to register participants. Personal information will be kept confidential and will only be used for registration purposes.
Participants will have the option to choose from the following:
To be eligible for the Challenge, two or more members of a carpool must use the RideFlag app to log the trip.
If you are interested in finding a carpool partner, RideFlag can help match you with others in your area.
You’re a super commuter!
You can log your multimodal trip one of two ways:
All trips may be scheduled in advance and on a recurring basis.
The 2017 Commuter Challenge highlighted the benefits of carpooling, taking public transit options, biking and walking. We urge everyone to make use of alternative transportation to help reduce traffic congestion and environmental impact. If you're interested in carpooling, please download the free RideFlag mobile app which allows you to carpool on demand.