Make your commute a breeze with the new Commute!VA app

It is now easier than ever for commuters to rideshare and find commute options in Virginia.

The George Washington Regional Commission (GWRC) has partnered with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) to provide a free multimodal ride matching and rewards program to the Fredericksburg region.

GWRC’s longstanding commuter assistance program, GWRideConnect, now uses the Commonwealth’s Commute!VA web and mobile apps to help commuters discover all of the transportation options available in the Commonwealth. Commute!VA will help GWRideConnect introduce transportation and ridesharing options to more people living or working in the City of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford.

“This new app enables us to expand our outstanding customer service to local commuters,” says Leigh Anderson, Assistant Director of GWRideConnect. “They can locate ridesharing options within the convenient app, and we’re still available with personalized customer service whenever they need it.”

Users can find rides based on mode (carpool, vanpool, bus), trip origin and destination, time, day of the week and more. Commute!VA also shows park-and-ride locations and electric vehicle charging locations.

Commuters who use Commute!VA earn points for recording trips made by carpool, vanpool or transit and can redeem them for rewards such as discounts at select retailers, restaurants, attractions and more. Users can also track the money, emissions and travel miles they save.

Commute!VA makes trip planning easy, enabling the user to plan every step of their commute with van pools, car pools, bus, train, Metro and bike share. Commuters can see what is available at their home location or select a nearby park-and-ride lot and choose between daily commuting trips, or single trips for shopping, appointments and events.

The application can be accessed by computer, allowing for easy navigation, or smartphone mobile app, either Android or Apple.

To sign up now, visit gwrideconnect.org/commuteva. For more information, visit gwrideconnect.org or call 540-373-7665 for personalized assistance. Local restaurants, shops, attractions and services interested in offering discounts to commuters should also contact GWRideConnect.

Vanpools offer commuters one of the most cost-effective, efficient ways of getting to and from work.  A vanpool has convenient pick-up locations and riders are dropped off at or near their jobs.  With so many vanpools serving commuters in the Fredericksburg, Virginia region, the prospect of finding a vanpool that fits your needs may feel overwhelming, however, its easier than one would think thanks to GWRideConnect.

GWRideConnect is a regional commuter assistance program serving the City of Fredericksburg and the Counties of Caroline, King George, Spotsylvania and Stafford, offering transportation options other than a single-occupancy vehicle.

“Commuters are surprised to discover how easy it is to find out if a vanpool is traveling to or near their workplace,” said Leigh Anderson, Assistant Director, GWRideConnect.  “One of the things that commuters appreciate about all our services is that they are so personalized.  Commuters and vanpool operators know they can call us for help in making a commuting connection.”

Vanpool operators register their services and advertise vacancies available for new riders on their vans at the GWRideConnect website.  The website also provides commuters with vanpool information including origin, destination, corresponding work hours and contact information. Riders that register with GWRideConnect receive personalized commute options information based on their specific home and work locations, and work hours. Registered commuters also receive  GWRideConnect’s Express Match service.  This service expedites the sharing of information between vanpool operators and potential riders.

GWRideConnect provides operators and their riders with other useful information such as commuter lot locations, the Guaranteed Ride Home Program, available financial assistance, and the AdVANtage Vanpool Self-Insruance Program, a insurance program for Virginia vanpools.

With all these personalized options for commuters and operators, GWRideConnect makes vanpooling easier than ever.