I’m sort of shooting in the dark here, and probably don’t have all the facts, so if anyone knows more and sees a problem with my comments, let me know. I got this from a two minute TV newscast. You can watch it on parknews.biz.
San Francisco’s BART had a federally funded trial program using an app called SCOOP to match up carpoolers. Once you had formed a ‘pool’ you could park at a discounted rate at a BART station. The SCOOP program funding has run out, so BART has come up with a new program that allows car poolers to park in coveted close in spaces (used by permit holders).
Drivers must download a ‘new’ app, find carpoolers, fill in data on those poolers, pay for their parking, and then they are good to go. Of course the new app isn’t connected to the ‘Scoop” app which helped you match up yourself with others on the same schedule in your neighborhood.
BART says that you may still use the Scoop app to find carpoolers, but then have to manually transfer the data from Scoop to the new app.
Drivers are motivated to use the new app as the new program sets you up to use those close in, next to the station, permit spaces. The walk from the standard lot can be substantial. Fair Enough.
I wonder why BART couldn’t have used the tools provided by the Scoop App to make it easy for drivers to find carpoolers, and blended it with the new program to make it easy and seamless for drivers to set themselves up in the new program.
Listening to the half a dozen drivers that were interviewed, they seemed keen on the idea, but also expressed concern about finding other members for their ‘pool.’ Hmmmm,. Did BART talk to its customers before putting the new app and program in place?
Just Sayin…
JVH
