I-way Blog

by David Doran, District 5 Mobility Manager  Read more...

by Suzanne Seigneur, CTAI RideShare Coordinator Read more...

By Brett Nelson, CTAI District 5 Mobility Manager  Read more...

You are a single mother of two without a vehicle, out of work and unemployment benefits are running out. You have been offered a night job as the weekend auditor for a local hotel. The downside – the shift begins at 11:00pm and ends at 6:00am. The problem – affordable and safe child care is limited and there isn’t any public transit offered for late night and weekend workers. Will you accept the position…can you accept the position?

This is not a fictional scenario, this is the dilemma faced by a young mother within my district. We need to look at these two issues, child care and mobility as they relate to shift and weekend labor pools. Nationwide we find in rural areas that bartering and cooperation between neighbors and families can fill a portion of the gap in transit and child care availability. But, shift work often limits the willingness of families and others to provide rides or babysitting services.

Are these limitations keeping our unemployed or underemployed from seeking shift and weekend positions? As a mobility manager this discussion provided insight to the issues faced by our human service agencies – how do you help clients learn positive ways to meet their own needs on their journey to self-sufficiency with such overwhelming gaps in service.

Possible solutions:

• Visit I-Way.org and click on the Getting Around icon for RideShare information. The RideShare is a free, online resource to individuals find the perfect carpool or vanpool; RideShare also has matching tools such as Bike Buddies and School Pools for the kids.
• Work with employers that require shift and weekend workers to develop options such as van and car pools;
• Seek sponsorships for evening and weekend transit routes designed to serve the needs of major employers and their workers.

Our economic climate has created challenges for those seeking employment and mobility options can remove at least one of those challenge.  Read more...

I’m a mobility manager! It’s my job to promote vanpools, car pools, buses, trails, biking, etc. It’s my job to coordinate and better utilize existing resources and systems. It’s my job to move people and connect Idahoans. And, do it without single occupancy vehicles. To quote the TV pitchmen: “But wait - there’s more.” I live about 7 miles outside of Sandpoint. I drive my gas guzzling truck to work. My office is on the edge of the city. It is just a little over a mile from downtown and all the lunch spots. For the last year, I would drive that mile to lunch. And, I’m a mobility manager! Every morning, in the garage, I would pass this like new 12 year old bicycle which is next to the like new 10 year old golf clubs. Late last summer it occurred to me. I’m not practicing what I preach. So, the bike moved from the garage to my office where it was used at lunch time and for other meetings in Sandpoint. Winter is here so the bike is back at its off season job of keeping dust from settling on the garage floor. But, I am left with some nagging questions. Read more...

On Wednesday, September 8, US Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood urged parents and students to be safety conscious and consider greener alternatives for getting to and from school. The press release discusses the value and importance of programs such as Safe Routes to School and First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move challenge. Read more...

Across the country, millions of Americans make the commute to work each day in our cars - never considering that perhaps the neighbor is also headed to work (or taking their kids to school) and we could share the ride. Often times, with better coordination, we could take one car instead of multiples. Read more...