New Growth Transit introduces new partnership to encourage shared rides

Nevada, Missouri – As businesses in the area continue to grow and commuting costs continue to increase, New Growth Transit is creating improvements to the area’s transit system to attract workers to the area while reducing expenses for commuters. In partnership with Commute with Enterprise, New Growth Transit is working to provide an innovative and sustainable shared mobility option: vanpooling.
New Growth Transit, an affiliate of West Central Missouri Community Action Agency, serves a nine-county region which includes the Missouri counties Bates, Benton, Cass, Cedar, Henry, Hickory, Morgan, St. Clair, and Vernon. The Commute program is a coordinated vanpool program available to people who live inside or outside of Cass County, Missouri for those who wish to access jobs in the area. The program coordinates participant/employee rides for those who indicate their interest through various channels such as at their jobsite or via an online portal. The program then matches riders who have similar work shifts in similar areas and who are interested in riding together. Once four or more people are matched, a Commute with Enterprise representative will contact the group to begin working out the details. Commute with Enterprise then provides a 7-15 passenger vehicle, insurance, maintenance and ongoing support. Each vanpool is customized to the specific needs of its four or more vanpoolers.
“Our new partnership with Enterprise allows New Growth Transit to continue to enhance transportation options, to create innovative solutions to rural and suburban transportation challenges, and to support employment needs of local businesses in our community, while introducing our community to a proven, efficient form of public transportation that was previously unavailable in the west central Region,” commented Chris Thompson, New Growth Transit and West Central CEO.
The vanpool program will be partially subsidized by New Growth Transit using funds appropriated for new transit solutions in rural Missouri. The remaining cost is split among the employer and/or participants, with each vanpool rider paying a set fee per month. Enterprise will provide coordination services and technology, vehicles, liability insurance, scheduled vehicle maintenance, and 24-hour roadside assistance.
Participants can choose a qualifying vanpool vehicle from Enterprise’s selection of makes and models that includes crossovers, SUVs, minivans, and large passenger vans. Vanpoolers may choose to upgrade their vehicles with optional high-end features such as satellite radio and in-vehicle Wi-Fi service.
People who commute to or from any West Central Missouri Community Action Agency-region county and are interested in joining the program can visit https://www.commutewithenterprise.com/commute/en/partners/newgrowth.html.
For more information, contact Marissa Scott with New Growth Transit at mscott@wcmcaa.org or the Commute with Enterprise team; Allen Robbins at Allen.Robbins@ehi.com, 417-693-414 or Amber Taylor (Cass County only) Amber.Taylor@ehi.com, 816-309-1412.