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Friday, January 29th, 2009
Avego Powers VPSI Vanpooling
World’s largest vanpool service provider incorporates Avego’s Shared Transport technology.
Avego is pleased to announce that it has partnered with VPSI to develop an integrated technology solution for the company, including providing its groundbreaking Shared Transport technology, all of which will make it easier and more convenient for commuters in the United States to join and use vanpools on their daily commute.
VPSI is the world’s largest vanpool service provider, with a fleet of more than 5,000 vans accommodating over 25 million passenger trips annually. Avego’s end-to-end vanpool management capabilities are already being enabled in some regions of VPSI’s nationwide transportation network.
“Due to the ongoing desire of commuters to save money on their daily commutes, as well as an increased awareness of the need for energy independence, reduced carbon emissions, and the sheer convenience of not having to drive to work, VPSI has seen record levels of demand for new vanpools,” said VPSI President Jeff Henning. “Our partnership with Avego will give our vanpool customers greater information services, while allowing us to even more rapidly deploy new vanpools.”
Initially the system is being used to provide automated reporting on passenger miles traveled to government agencies, streamlined vanpool formation and management processes, extensive in-vehicle driver management capabilities, and real-time passenger information. However, the prospect also exists for matching riders with vanpools in real time, if desired by the agency or VPSI’s customers.
 Avego’s system includes an in-vehicle touchscreen mobile data terminal (MDT) with GPS and audio announcement capabilities, a web application for commuters to self-organize and grow their vanpools, and extensive reporting capabilities.
To find out how to get VPSI vanpools with Avego’s technology in your area, or to see how the system works up close, please contact info@avego.com.
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Reinventing Carpooling
Avego MD Presents at TRB Workshop in Washington, DC
On January 10th, Avego’s Managing Director, Sean O’Sullivan, presented at the 89th annual Transportation Research Board (TRB) meeting in Washington, DC, as part of a workshop titled Reinventing Carpooling to Meet Transportation’s Greatest Challenges.
The workshop, which included presentations from other transportation industry luminaries such as former US Secretary of Transportation Mortimer Downey, focused on strategies for reshaping the political, policy, and practical framework for carpooling to enable more sustainable and efficient transportation.
"85% of people rely on single-occupancy vehicles on their commute to work," said O'Sullivan. “What if all the cars on the road could be part of the solution rather than part of the problem?”
Avego’s free iPhone app enables more flexible, convenient and verifiable carpooling by combining GPS-enabled real-time ride-matching with fully automated payment transaction management, real-time passenger information, safety features, and accurate commute reporting. In this way, Avego's technology re-invents carpooling by essentially enabling people to turn their cars into buses.
- Learn more about AvegoTM Shared Transport here »
- Download Avego's iPhone app for free here »
- Create a free Avego account here »
- Help us to spread the word by forwarding this newsletter to a friend.
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More U.S. Transit Funding
Upcoming Funding Opportunities for Transit Operators in the U.S.
Two nights ago, President Obama delivered his first State of the Union address, in which he called on the Congress to turn its attention to job creation - urging the Senate to take up a jobs bill that will increase investment in transportation infrastructure and “help our nation move goods, services, and information”.
This legislation is expected to include significant resources for highways and transit, but it is just one possible upcoming source for Avego customers seeking federal funding for Shared Transport or Futurefleet:
- In the next couple of weeks, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) expects to announce the award of an additional $1.5 billion for its TIGER grant program, with transit and ridesharing projects eligible for 100% funding (no local match required).
- In December, Congress passed FY2010 Omnibus Appropriations, which included an additional $600 million in TIGER grants. This is also expected to be announced in February.
- As mentioned in our last newsletter, the Federal Transit Administration announced the availability of $280 million of new funding as part of if its Bus Livability Program. The application deadline for operators interested in using Futurefleet to enable real-time passenger information is February 8.
- The 2010 Jobs for Main Street Act, passed by the House in December, includes $27.5 billion for highways and $8.4 billion for transit, with local match requirements waived. The Senate is expected to take up its version of the jobs bill very soon, also with significant transportation investments.
Anyone interested in partnering with Avego to secure funding for Shared Transport or Futurefleet projects should contact Avego’s Director of Government Relations, Jason Conley.
- Request more information about FuturefleetTM here »
- Learn more about Futurefleet here »
- Watch a video screencast about Futurefleet's operations services capabilities here »
- Watch a video screencast about Futurefleet's passenger services capabilities here »
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