Idea for subsidizing carpools

[hotdogPi]

A smartphone app would keep track of when you carpool, and each person in the carpool would receive 1¢ per mile for a carpool of 2 and 3¢ per mile for a carpool of 3+, up to 50 miles per day. Each person would need the app running, but it doesn't need to be the active app. (To prevent smartphone use while driving, all it shows during the trip is a black screen with the distance traveled so far and a "finish trip" button.) Money is earned at any time between 5 AM and 9 PM; we don't want to encourage people to drive during rush hour just to receive money.

When you install the app, you must verify that you have a driver's license. People working at the DOT will manually verify that you are eligible and that no person gets multiple accounts. (This is mostly meant to exclude kids.) At the beginning and end of each trip, you must take a photo of the car's license plate to be sure that you actually made the trip; this is to exclude public transit, as public transit prices should not vary based on who else is getting on or off. The GPS used is the same one that the phone already uses. The carpoolers must be in the same place at the same time the entire trip (to make sure it's just one car).

Money received is transferred to your credit card. If you are suspicious of entering your credit card info, you can add it to your E-ZPass account (or other state equivalent), but it can only be used to pay for tolls.

If you are using the Uber or Lyft apps, the DOT carpool app will not work.

To the DOT, this will have a cost without any revenue, but so do most road projects.

[vdeane]

Wouldn't something like verifying eligibility be more the responsibility of the DMV?  The DOT has nothing to do with driver's licenses.

[ilpt4u]

A smartphone app would keep track of when you carpool...
To the DOT, this will have a cost without any revenue, but so do most road projects.

If a Smartphone app tracks your commute and carpool, there is probably enough data there to sell to Marketers...so that is a potential revenue stream

Similar to I-Pass/EZ-Pass, will this Data be available from whatever gov't agency (DOT, DOR, etc) runs it, via a Court order or FOIA request?

Gotta love those Divorce Court Proceedings that have I-Pass evidence against the ex's supposed whereabouts...

Considering there are presently real, tangible cost benefits to carpooling right now (fuel - including tax, vehicle wear-n-tear/maintenance, potentially tolls) I'm not sure a Gov't subsidy is needed to further the idea. It is possible, tho. Would have to be studied and analyzed to see if it would lower traffic counts enough to make any lower highway/roadway maintenance/upgrade projects less, in addition to the cost of the new bureaucracy of running the program

[kphoger]

If you are using the Uber or Lyft apps, the DOT carpool app will not work.

Even on separate devices?