Published: Jun 27, 2013 | 21:09 PM

Irvine Ranch Water District’s Rideshare Program Honored

Eighty Cars Removed From the Road

The Irvine Ranch Water District’s rideshare program received the highest honor, the Blue Diamond Award, for corporate rideshare leadership at the 15 Annual Rideshare Diamond Awards event May 22. The awards are sponsored jointly by the Orange County Transportation Authority, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority Commute Services and Ventura County Transportation Commission. The IRWD rideshare coordinators were honored at the June 24 Board of Directors meeting.

“We need to be resourceful and utilize every opportunity to spread the word of rideshare,” said Jane Shafer, IRWD rideshare coordinator.

IRWD received a Diamond Award in 2011 for its rideshare program. The Diamond Awards recognize the significant achievements of corporate rideshare programs in the region and their contribution toward decreasing gasoline consumption, air pollution and commuter costs as well as improving mobility.

A shortage of parking spots during the IRWD Michelson Water Recycling Plant expansion, plus a focus on marketing the program to newly hired employees, helped boost the numbers of the rideshare program. The van pool portion of the program has expanded to 20 vans, 18 of them at the Michelson location and nine of them are equipped with bicycle racks. Many employees commute from the traffic-choked Inland Empire, so this allows them to arrive to work on time and refreshed. The numbers of IRWD employees using the program equates to removing 80 cars from the road.

Additionally, there are 18 employees actively participating in the bike to work program. Others use public transportation. For more information on IRWD, please visit our website.