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HomeNewsMontgomery County Embraces Technology for Long Distance Ridesharing

Montgomery County Embraces Technology for Long Distance Ridesharing

Montgomery County Government TennesseeMontgomery County, TN – Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett is proud to introduce Hytch to the citizens of Montgomery County. Hytch is a free phone app available to all smart phone users to match drivers with similar routes for potential ride sharing. The Hytch concept is simple — match, chat, ride, repeat.

Montgomery County Mayor Durrett states, “We know that approximately 20,000 people choose to work outside of Montgomery County with the majority of those using the I-24 corridor between Clarksville and Nashville.”

Hytch

“And we’re not alone:  Many people travel from one county to another daily. We also know that any type of mass transit is not only costly, but decades away,” said Mayor Durrett. ” This solution provides an efficient, technology-driven, immediate option for Middle Tennessee commuters. Hytch capitalizes on an existing communication infrastructure to eliminate cars from our interstates by encouraging ridesharing.”

Mayor Durrett continues, “If we can put two people in a car instead of one, our community can quickly turn 20,000 daily Montgomery County commuters into a transportation asset.  Long distance drivers become a major asset in this entire region.  Think of how much more fluid our commutes will be if we choose to share a ride or offer a ride once in a while.  But that’s not the only reason I’m supporting Hytch.”

Durrett points to three major points:

  • It’s green.  Eliminate cars, reduce pollution.
  • It’s safe. First, users are anonymous until they choose to accept a match and can share only what they wish to share. Second, having another person in the car keeps folks alert with less opportunity for hands off the wheel distractions.
  • It’s social.  Networking with your neighbors is always beneficial and socializing while traveling makes the ride go by faster.

“We’re a car centric culture,” says Mark Cleveland, CEO of Hytch “we just need a tiny bump to become a car sharing culture. Who says we can’t do this?” asks Cleveland. “Most drivers only think about driving to work, parking, and driving home again.  The idea of electronically hitching a ride to work hasn’t occurred to most of us, or if it is has, we don’t have an established network of people going the same way to match up with.  Hytch makes it easy!”

Hytch is a great tool for businesses and individuals alike. Cleveland adds, “We are working with a regional mindset, helping hospitals, colleges and businesses with limited parking options to introduce this new technology to employees and students.  This project is funded under a Grant Contract with the state of Tennessee aimed at achieving air quality improvements that Hytch drivers are responsible for.  With the recent Colonial pipeline leak in Alabama currently affecting our region, the timing could not be more relevant and Montgomery County is the ideal ‘laboratory’ with so many workers that travel daily, weekly and monthly to Nashville.”

Mayor Durrett believes Montgomery County can lead the charge: “It’s time to face our transportation issues with cost-effective and progressive solutions, and I feel that Hytch is just that. It’s a great opportunity for the commuters of Montgomery County to get to know their neighbors, to help cut costs for everyone, and Hytch offers one solution to a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon.”

For more information on the Hytch app, visit www.hytch.me.

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