PROVIDENCE — For some commuters, there are numbers to consider beyond miles per gallon.
For Rhode Islanders looking to reduce their carbon footprint when it comes to getting from Point A to Point B, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority has a tool to offer: the “Drive Less RI’’ phone app.
The trip planning and recording app provides users with sustainable commuting options around the Ocean State, RIPTA officials say.
The app logs how travelers use each one – from public transit to carpooling, vanpooling, walking, biking, and even telecommuting – and provides badges and awards points, which can be redeemed for rewards such as coupons and discounts at stores and attractions. The deals range from free admission at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum in Providence and the Gamm Theatre in Warwick, to discounts at retailers such as Claire’s, Aeropostale, and Sherwin-Williams paints.
Along the way, users can also track how many gallons of gas they have saved, reduced vehicle miles traveled, their reduced carbon emissions, and the money they’ve saved, among other metrics.
Launched in 2014, the app has undergone several rebranding efforts and currently has 4,175 registered users. Its initial name, “Agile Mile,’’ was later changed to “Commuter Resource RI.’’ Last month, RIPTA opted to rename it again, this time to “Drive Less RI,’’ with a goal of adding another 300 users in the coming months.
“We wanted to reach a new demographic,’’ said Cristy Raposo Perry, RIPTA’s director of communications and public outreach. “‘Commuter Resource RI’ doesn’t really roll around the tongue as well as ‘Drive Less RI.’
“We know that demographics are changing,’’ she added. “Users are, you know, younger, so we want to definitely appeal to those people. So we felt like the rebrand would help make it more interesting and also more universal.’’
Raposo Perry spoke to the Globe about how the app works, the response to the rebranding so far, and what having this information could mean to commuters. The interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Q: How exactly does the app work?
Raposo Perry: So some people . . . want to use it as a tool to help them plan their trip, so you could put in where you are and where you want to go using public transit, or you can use it to help find a carpool. So maybe you’re looking for your daily commute and you’re looking to see who else is making kind of the same trip that you can carpool with, or you could yourself sign up as a carpooler.
The ‘Drive Less RI’ app also lets you find carpools to events. This year, we’re going to promote taking RIPTA to the Newport Folk Fest and the Jazz Fest. We know that parking in Newport is really difficult. So with this app . . . you can say that you’re going to go this event, and you can find other people that are going, and form a carpool.
How does the carpooling component work? How do you organize that?
It’s all done within the app. So you would basically create your trip within the app and then say that, yes, you are looking to join a carpool that does a similar route, or you register yourself and . . . you’re welcome to start a carpool and someone can join you for your trip.
How has the response to the
rebranding been so far?
It’s been great. We’ve already seen an increase in registered users, and that was with zero marketing dollars behind it. So just even getting some publicity around it, people are interested in checking it out.
What’s the importance behind users having their green trip numbers? Do you think it’s gratifying for people to have that kind of information?
Absolutely. When we held public hearings last year when we had [to] potentially cut service due to the driver shortage, I can’t tell you how many people that came out to testify said “I am a climate champion and riding RIPTA is making a difference in the battle against climate change.’’
People are really proud of the fact that even if they ride the bus once a week, just once, . . . that makes a difference. And [to] document the impact that you’re making is rewarding.
This app goes beyond the bus system RIPTA is known for. What does RIPTA hope for by having this app?
I think we’re hoping that people who aren’t tracking their green trips will do so, and then share out those badges and get people excited about trying transit and trying to go green, not only for like, the street cred, but also for the rewards we’re offering.
I think the other part of it is to get people to see that even just trying transit once does make a difference. You can see your impact right away when you record that trip. So it’s not just some metaphorical difference that you’re making, right? There is an actual number attached to it.
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
