Mobility Authority launches carpooling smartphone app
 Central Texans now have a new way to get around town thanks to Carma Carpooling, the breakthrough real-time smartphone app that launched in Austin as part of a pilot project with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Carma matches drivers and riders as they travel, enabling them to set up carpools and share the cost of driving through automatic in-app payments. The overall goal is to put commuters’ empty seats to good use and reduce traffic congestion throughout the city.
To launch the service, Carma and the Mobility Authority held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today on the 183A toll road, where an orange Carma Tesla broke through a ribbon at the Park Street toll gantry and took its first trip with ceremonial "Carmapoolers" on board.
Carma, the Mobility Authority, TxDOT and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute are participating in a federally-funded pilot program that provides additional rewards for users who carpool on Mobility Authority toll roads. Drivers with TxTAGs will receive rebates on toll fees when they carpool with Carma along 183A and Manor Expressway/Hwy 290 toll roads.
The pilot was funded with a Value Pricing Grant from the Federal Transit Administration administered by TxDOT and Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Texas A&M Transportation Institute is providing independent oversight to evaluate automated vehicle occupancy verification and toll reimbursements for HOV users along toll roads.
“We are pleased Carma is participating with us in this pilot project,†said Mobility Authority Executive Director Mike Heiligenstein. “This technology allows us to test the impact of specialty pricing as an incentive to drivers to use a tolled Expressway, and may provide a way to verify the number of passengers in a qualifying carpool.â€
Approved by Austin City Council, Carma is the only legal ridesharing network available in the city. It is unique compared to other illegitimate ‘rideshare’ apps (peer-to-peer taxi services) because it matches everyday commuters to share rides. “Carmapoolers†are not ‘for hire’ drivers, and therefore their participation is protected by Federal, State and local laws.
“There are more than 900,000 empty seats commuting around Austin daily. We can help the congestion problem if drivers offer up just one empty seat every week. By getting there together, we can all enjoy extra time at home with our families, instead of sitting in traffic, said Paul Steinberg, VP of Business Development for Carma.
How it Works
Carma is free to join. Riders pay just $0.20 per mile to contribute towards drivers' costs.
- Download the Carma Carpooling app for iPhone or Android
- Set up your profile and input your normal commute schedule & route
- Carma shows your nearby matches - view profiles and message them to get in touch
- Tap ‘Start Trip’ - Carma starts recording trip distance
- Tap ‘End Trip’ - payment is transferred from Rider to Driver
183A and Manor Expressway Toll Reimbursements
For now, Carmapoolers can only receive toll rebates along the 183A and Manor Expressway toll roads in
Central Texas. Two-person carpools get a 50% toll rebate, and three-plus person carpools get 100% of the toll back. Users must first download the Carma app at www.car.ma/austin, and then register their TxTag and License Plate info via their Profile screen. Once complete, any Carma Carpooling trip on these toll roads will be eligible for reimbursements.
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