The MassHire board identified transportation as the number one barrier to employment in the eight-member region, and the pilot is designed to provide low-cost, point-to-point, micro-transit options to employees at a $2 per ride price.
"Transportation and its high cost is a key barrier to employment in the Greater Lowell area for both those seeking work and for our employers," MassHire Executive Director Kevin Coughlin said during a press conference held at City Hall on Monday, that was attended by Danielle McFadden, president and CEO of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce, City Manager Tom Golden and QRyde President and founder Himanshu Bhatnagar.
Lowell is the host city for MassHire, which serves the workforce needs of Dunstable, Dracut, Tyngsboro, Tewksbury, Billerica, Westford and Chelmsford. The agency conducts labor market research, operates a career center system, partners with critical industries and connects youth with resources and activities. It serves two primary customers: companies (the demand side) and job seekers (the supply side).
The workforce board, led by McFadden, said the board identified transportation availability, accessibility and affordability as a factor that impacts businesses across a spectrum of industries in the region.
"Business are always looking for ways to attract and retain employees," she said. "This pilot offers a way to bring in new employees as well as keep the ones that they have."
A federal grant, along with some American Rescue Plan Act money through the city of Lowell, will subsidize the 12-month program developed by Lowell-based QRyde, a software company whose technology provides innovative transportation solutions.
Bhatnagar said Get a Ryde's objective is to create an Uber-like experience for users without the high cost of the transportation service. He said the company will collect data to evaluate how money saved on transportation costs may benefit the local economies of the participating communities.
"The cost of transportation is mitigated by the amount of money spent in the community," he said. "Get a Ryde is a local solution using a local transportation company, using local drivers to provide low-cost transportation. It benefits everybody."
Employees looking for transportation from home to work can go to the QRyde website or call to schedule a ride. Unlike Uber or other ride-sharing services, QRyde does not offer taxi-style or just-in-time rides. The idea is to move employees to and from work as quickly, efficiently and affordably as possible using economies of scale managed by QRyde's unique algorithm and tracking technology.
"All those rides come to us through a portal booked in advance," Bhatnagar said. "It's not instant. You get an immediate notification that your request has been addressed. Then we follow up with who can pick you up and at what time and how you pay the $2."
All drivers are licensed and insured. QRyde drivers will earn 90% of the total subsidized transportation costs versus the 43% margin for commercial ride-sharing drivers.
By matching riders with drivers, Bhatnagar said the pilot will also get vehicles off the roads, which will minimize carbon footprints and conserve energy.
The pilot, he said, "Benefits the city, employer and employees."
Golden called the innovative transportation model "exciting."
"Getting people to and from work is vitally important and we have to get rid of every potential barrier," he said.
MassHire will distribute materials in multiple languages throughout the community to market the pilot program, as well as post information on social media platforms.
"This may not be the total answer," Coughlin said, "but it's a piece of the answer."
Residents who need transportation to their workplace should call 888-575-6676 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. to start the process.
© 2023 The Sun, Lowell, Mass. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
