Captus Launches New Carpool Website; CarpoolMatchNW.org Designed to Match Carpool Partners

    PORTLAND, Ore.--April 26, 2002--Drivers in Portland, Salem and SW Washington now have a new and convenient tool to find others that can share a carpool ride.
    CarpoolMatchNW.org was introduced today by transit and city leaders as an easy and safe way to find carpool matches with which to share a ride.
    This state-of-the-art Internet tool, developed by Captus Solutions, based in Bellevue WA, features a user-friendly way for people to connect who share similar commute routes and schedules. The service is free and is designed in a way to ensure anonymity and safety for the user.
    "This tool is quick, easy and best of all, free," stated City of Portland Commissioner Charlie Hales. "The site is attractive and is as convenient to use as the popular MapQuest site. By increasing the number of people who carpool to work, we can reduce congestion, improve our air quality and enhance our community. One less car on the road is our goal."
    Potential users of the service can simply go to CarpoolMatchNW.org and enter in their work destination, work email, nearest intersection to their home, and commute schedule. A map appears that indicates others along the commute route with similar destinations and schedules. The user is then provided with a list of potential carpool matches and links to their email address as well as tips on how to meet new matches and establish a carpool partnership.
    The City of Portland along with its partners, Tri-Met and C-TRAN developed the site with significant input from the area's Transportation Management Associations and several individual employers. $120,000 funding of the site was provided by The Climate Trust, a non-profit based in Portland (www.climatetrust.org), which provides solutions to rapid climate change and implements Oregon's landmark CO2 standard for new power plants. Funding for CarpoolMatchNW.org came from the Klamath Cogeneration Project, owned by PacifiCorp Power Marketing and the city of Klamath Falls. In exchange for funding development of the Web-based rideshare program, The Climate Trust will receive the CO2 reductions that result from people driving less.
    Mike Burnett, The Climate Trust's executive director, believes the project could become a national model. "We're excited to be funding an innovative use of computer technology for the benefit of our airshed, reducing congestion, and cost-effectively cutting a global warming pollutant. We believe that this offset project will be replicated in other cities," he said. The site is expected to reduce 70,000 metric tons of CO2 over ten years.
    Lynne Griffin, C-TRAN's Executive Director, is happy to see the website complement Washington's carpool lanes. "A regional database for carpooling is essential for this area," she stated. "Southwest Washington and northern Oregon are tied together. This website will bring us together even more and make carpooling and vanpooling viable alternatives to driving alone."
    Captus Solutions is currently in discussions with various other state and municipal governments, as well as universities to provide the CommuteMatch technology solution in other areas of the country.

    About Captus Solutions

    Captus Solutions is a technology consultancy specializing in delivering business solutions. We are experts in application integration and development, technology consulting and business strategies. We use our breadth of technical and implementation knowledge to insure rapid and successful implementations for our customers. Captus designs, deploys and manages IT solutions for organizations seeking to leverage next generation technology for competitive advantage. For more information see www.captussolutions.com.