Sudbury hopes employers will help drive carpool program

In its latest attempt to get more Sudburians interested in carpooling — the city has launched a new program to connect employees travelling to the same workplace

Six years ago the city launched the website Carpool Zone to join commuters and to cut down on vehicle emissions. About 300 people have joined since the site was launched with many people sharing rides "from [the] Garson area, Azilda, the Valley, [and] New Sudbury," said Stephen Monet, the manager of environmental planning initiatives. "Most of those rides are to downtown."

The city now has a website to get employers on board.

"So larger workplaces, such as the City of Greater Sudbury, can have their own sub sites where the employees of those workplaces can ask for rides or offer rides within only the pool of those employees," Monet added.

But for people like John Vanderydt, a financial advisor who works in downtown Sudbury and frequently drives from his office to business appointments, carpooling is not an alternative for him.

"I'd say that I'm probably in and out about two-three-four times a day," Vanderydt said. "And I'm driving to all different points in the city."

Vanderydt needs his car for work, so he can't carpool to work — just one of the reasons why some folks in Sudbury aren't signing up with the city's carpool zone website.

So far, the city is the only employer that has signed on to the new service.

The program costs the city about $1,800 a year to operate.