HONOLULU (KHON2) — School is back in session, and Beat the School Jam wants to prepare parents for the classroom commute.
The Beat the School Jam campaign by HDOT has been airing on local television and radio stations all summer long to help drivers stress less before back-to-school.
HDOT wants to remind drivers that about 50,000 students are joining the daily commute to make it to class.
The key to cutting back your drive time is carpooling; fewer cars on the road means better traffic, which saves you extra minutes and miles daily.
HOV lanes are a carpool perk; they can save an estimated 20 to 40 minutes of drive time for those using the Zipper Lane from the west side into downtown Honolulu.
HDOT provides a website for you to find your perfect match, a ride match that is. HiRideshare is a free platform that allows you to connect and communicate with community members who have a similar route and schedule.
According to the HiRideshare website, you can save 352 miles, 0.81 gallons of gas and 286 tons of emissions all by catching a ride with a friend.
A new collaboration is hitting the roads this year, the Hawaii State Department of Education and GoKid, the leading carpool company.
The program is accessible to families from Oahu’s Mililani Complex and Maui’s Kekaulike Complex.
“It’s basically a tool to connect families that will allow them to meet other families in neighboring areas and then allow them to set up carpools with tracking mechanisms once they do that,” explained HIDOE Student Transportation Services Administrator Megan Omura.
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Before you hit the road for work, school, or anywhere else you want to go, save time and share your ride.