Our cities are growing, and traveling through many local NYC communities is becoming increasingly difficult. Buses have longer wait times, subways are frequently delayed or rerouted, and ride-share prices are skyrocketing. New York City residents find that their daily commutes are becoming more and more inconvenient. Enter Dollaride.
Our team focuses on urban transit and community building. Our mission: Make public transportation accessible to anyone, anywhere, starting with those who live in transit gaps. Transit gaps make it difficult for workers to travel, even harder for students to get to class on time, and impossible for community members to fully take advantage of the economic opportunities surrounding them. To overcome this hurdle in transit equity, Dollaride provides its partners with technology and support to increase commuter benefits and effectively put an end to transit gaps in and around urban areas.
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“Our mission is to make public transportation accessible to anyone, anywhere, starting with those who live in transit gaps.”
- (Su Sanni, Co-Founder & CEO at Dollaride)
What are transit gaps?
Transit gaps are areas with limited access to transportation. These areas are typically further away from the city center and have significantly longer and more expensive daily commutes. On average, New York residents spend 53 minutes commuting to and from work each day using public transit.
This number increases dramatically for residents living in transit gaps, and some of the longest commute times can be found in Brooklyn and Queens. This lack of transportation equity makes it challenging for parts of these communities to create economic stability. In fact, lower access to transportation for poorer Americans creates what can be described as a negative economic feedback loop. It’s true, people need access to quality transportation in order to find and keep better jobs and studies have shown that transit access is one of the most critical factors in determining upward mobility.
Dollaride’s mission revolves around fixing this tension between transit and opportunity. We believe that efficient and reliable transportation options are an integral part of aiding the financial and operational stability of marginalized communities, especially in NYC.
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We talk a lot about dollar vans. But why?
New York City’s dollar van network was created to directly fill the need for transportation in underserved communities. But, that was over 30 years ago. Many things have changed since then, like people’s commuting patterns, population growth, and technology. What hasn’t changed, however, is the consistent network of dollar vans, their neighborhood-centric route system, and the support of local communities who value their service the most. It’s time for a revolution. Dollaride aims to make dollar vans more accessible, efficient, and economic for both riders and drivers. By streamlining the process of connecting community members with dollar van drivers, we are bringing an established transit system owned and operated for and by the community into the future – together.
What about the drivers?
Drivers are the backbone of New York City’s dollar van industry. They own their own vehicles, and for decades provided citywide transportation for the local community whenever needed. Our network of drivers is highly experienced and respected in their communities, since many of them have grown up, or live, in the areas they serve. Their respect for the road and commuter safety makes dollar vans a preferable mode of transportation for many residents that know about them.
Dollaride changes the game by showing drivers how to incorporate our technology into their informal shuttle service. This allows them to fill unseen gaps and expand routes to help local businesses, large employers, and government agencies to reach their organizational goals as well. Dollaride is a tool that mobilizes, and as the city moves into a more digital age, the dollar van community will move with it.
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Dollaride is community-driven.
If you haven’t noticed, it’s important to us that communities stay connected and continue to serve one another. Roughly 2 million NYC residents live in transit deserts. These include construction workers, delivery workers, nurses, lawyers; all that don’t have access to adequate transportation options. We want to make public transit more accessible and affordable for everyone, especially those millions of residents struggling to commute to work in New York City.
GatewayJFK wrapped vehicle powered by Dollaride. Located on Sutphin Blvd in Queens, NY.
Our work with the GatewayJFK BID in Queens, New York is just one example of how Dollaride allows institutions and agencies to bring the community together by closing transit gaps. On routes such as GatewayJFK’s, commuters can download the Dollaride app to locate the nearest route and van. Once commuters are located along the route, they can hail the a van from the app and prepay, letting the driver know there’s a rider waiting to get picked up. While riding, commuters can track their trip progress and notify the driver of their stop. Currently, along the GatewayJFK route, riders can also enjoy free WiFi while onboard a vehicle (powered by Dollaride).
This process provides a seamless experience for workers trying to save time, or avoid crowded buses while commuting. Dollaride is a tool that not only helps commuters feel less clueless about their transportation, but also provides an efficient experience for institutions and employers to offer transit options to their employees.
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Electrifying urban transit.
While efficiency and affordability are important, nothing is more crucial to the future of our communities than its health and sustainability. We are well aware of the role that lowered vehicle emissions play in the quest to improve air quality and pollution citywide. That’s why our plans to modernize the dollar van network include replacing all Dollaride affiliated vans with electric vehicles.
Yes, you heard that right. Our CTAP initiative will provide clean transportation in transit deserts and create more economic opportunities for drivers by helping them save money on gas, operations, and maintenance (watch this to learn more). This reshaping of the dollar vans industry lays the foundation to a clean transportation service that everyone can enjoy, reducing transit gaps and emissions.
This is Dollaride. Hop on.
