Solving workforce transportation is going to take a multi-pronged approach, especially in smaller areas. Theresa Lindsey of Wayne County, Indiana EDC was engaged with employers to scope out their concerns and implement employee surveys, and along the way found a solution for one employer that they could work on right away. Digging for answers, she was able to connect them to Commute with Enterprise (yes, the rental car people) who have the ability to customize van pool solutions and to partner with transit systems. And no, they don’t have to have a rental office in your town to work with you.
Van pools aren’t new, Enterprise isn’t new, but there are case histories to share now and pain points that are higher, so resistance and reluctance is lower.
The point of the story, by the way, isn’t what vendor to use, it’s what conversations we can facilitate and what success stories we can share.
If you can fix a part of the problem while you are still building a broader strategy, so much the better.