NZ Firm Proposes to Help Solve NY Traffic Woes

Auckland Firm Proposes to Help Solve Big Apple Traffic Woes

AUCKLAND ~ 30 August 2007 ~ Auckland firm Trip Convergence Ltd has launched an effort to help solve gridlock in New York. Announcing the launch of www.lessCARSinNEWYORK.com, Paul Minett, managing director of Trip Convergence, said that New York is about to go through a public discussion about ways to reduce the amount of traffic, and it makes sense for the company’s flexible carpooling system to be considered as part of that process.

The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has proposed a sweeping programme that includes the introduction of congestion charges (tolls) to enter Manhattan. The programme is predicted by the Mayor’s office to reduce traffic by just over 6%. In order to bring his programme into law the Mayor needs to convince a 17 member commission that tolling is the best alternative. The commission will be seeking input from a variety of sources.

Trip Convergence is in discussions with a number of cities in the US, Canada, and New Zealand, seeking beta locations to trial the new carpooling system. A recent blog responded to the concept with a perspective from Washington DC. In the July 6 issue of the Urban Transportation Monitor, a US transportation industry magazine, the editor endorsed the system and called for trials. This has resulted in more enquiry.

At the recent sustainability focused TRAFINZ conference in Taupo a presentation about flexible carpooling was well received by delegates, including a Minister from the Queensland Government. Asked at the end of the presentation whether they thought the system would work, delegates gave it a slightly better than 50/50 chance of success. The presentation has resulted in follow-up enquiry and opportunities in both New Zealand and Australia. The flexible carpooling presentation was sponsored by the Hamilton City Council who have expressed interest in the concept as a way of improving access for people from the satellite communities in the Waikato who work in Hamilton.

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Efforts to bring the concept into fruition in Auckland have involved gaining buy-in from a large number of organisations, a work in process at the moment. Trip Convergence is currently promoting that carpools should be allowed on the North Shore Busway, as provided for in the initial financial justifications and Environment Court decisions for the facility. Several Community Boards on the North Shore have endorsed both having carpools on the busway, and trialing the flexible carpooling system. The busway opens in 2008, and the 350 carpools per hour allowed in the approvals could reduce car counts on the Northern Motorway by over 1000 per hour. The eventual decision as to whether to enable this lies with Transit New Zealand. The key to other Auckland Routes lies with ARTA, the regional transportation authority.

The system developed by Trip Convergence has applicability across all sizes of community. The approach of the www.lessCARSinNEWYORK.com site is to build support from within the community. To this end the company is offering prizes in a quirky talent competition for renditions of a ballad on the site. Entries could come from around the world, with the goal being to raise awareness and registration in New York and elsewhere.

Successful implementation of flexible carpooling would result in reductions in traffic congestion, as well as reductions in fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions. Targeted at people who would otherwise drive alone, the company claims that the system can also help to strengthen communities and reduce the need for additional public transport and road-building. These outcomes are very consistent with the movement to improve sustainability. Flexible carpooling would provide a more sustainable choice. According to Paul Minett: “If everyone who could be, was a member of the flexible carpooling system, and used it every time it was convenient for them, then there would be at least 20% less traffic”.

An old saying goes that ‘if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere’. Trip Convergence is taking the first steps in that direction.

ENDS

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