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Phase: Select

Grand Rapids Multimodal Trip Planning and Incentive Platform

Grand Rapids Trip Planning & Incentives Platform will encourage commuters to try new modes by putting options & programs into their hands.

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RideAmigos has been a leader in commuter management technology for over ten years, and we have helped organizations across diverse industries bring all of their transportation programs and data into one system to manage and engage commuters.

Fortune 500 companies, top-tier research universities, regional governments, smart cities, and transit agencies use RideAmigos to track, manage, and transform commuter behavior. Our platform enables agencies and organizations to leverage local options and the emerging mobility ecosystem to enhance workforce mobility, minimize parking demand, and meet sustainability goals. Together with public and private sector partners, we are creating a growing social movement by helping commuters make smarter, more efficient transportation choices and skip the solo drive. By leveraging the RideAmigos cloud-based platform and mobile apps, the City of Grand Rapids will not only be able to encourage biking, walking, public transit, and other alternative commuter options, but also to empower organizations to incentivize commuters to shift behavior, as well as track and report on impact of the programs.

RideAmigos can work with the city of Grand Rapids and the City of Tomorrow team to develop an appropriate pilot program as follows: 

  • Depending on the goals and budget for the program, the initial pilot can be directed to the public across Grand Rapids or focused on selected or participating employers in the region.  
  • RideAmigos will license the platform at a discounted rate in line with the challenge funding. 
  • A portion of the funding will cover platform licensing costs, while all remaining funds will be allocated toward incentives and outreach.
  • Based on the amount of funding allocated toward the project, RideAmigos will work with the city of Grand Rapids and the City of Tomorrow team to define an optimal pilot period of three, six, or twelve months.
  • RideAmigos also currently has relationships with the local transit authority who may support and administer the pilot as appropriate. 


Included in the platform licensing, RideAmigos will provide the following to the City of Grand Rapids in connection with the City of Tomorrow program pilot: 

  • A trip-planning experience that offers multimodal trip planning and ride matching;
  • A gamification module that includes a configurable Commuter Incentive program with Commuter Challenge (e.g. Bike to Work Challenge);
  • Emergency ride home program management tool (Taxi, Uber or Lyft);
  • Cloud-based architecture and easy integration with the third party mobility options available in your region (e.g. bike share, dockless bikes & scooters, vanpools and shuttles, etc);
  • Real-time local transit routing (GTFS-RT);
  • Pre-purchased premium incentive wallet to increase participation and engagement from your commuter community; 

Describe who will use your solution (1,000 characters)

Depending on the goals and budget for the program, the initial pilot can be directed to the public across the City of Grand Rapids or focused on selected or participating employers in the region. Commuters in the pilot will be directed to create a private profile on our modern cloud-based site for trip-planning and incentives. They can also utilize the free CommuteTracker mobile app on their iOS or Android mobile device to connect to their commuter profile. Commuters can use this site to plan trips, post and participate in carpools, and access available incentives programs and challenges. They can earn points by logging or tracking and confirming alternative trips during the pilot period and, after earning enough points, redeem them for various incentives (e.g. premium gift cards, raffle tickets or other prizes) as determined with RideAmigos by the City of Grand Rapids and the City of Tomorrow team.

Describe your solution's stage of development

  • Fully Scaled - you have already scaled your solution and are exploring new use cases

Tell us about your team or organization (500 characters)

RideAmigos provides leading cloud-based commuter management solutions for regional commuter networks across the US. Employers, universities & governments use our multimodal trip planner, TDM programs, Incentive management system, and mobile application to shift commuter behavior to taking sustainable commutes. https://rideamigos.com/about/

Size of your team or organization

  • 11-50

Funding Request

  • $100,000

Describe how you would pilot your idea (1000 characters)

RideAmigos will build a City of Grand Rapids branded mobile responsive site with trip planner configured to the region (local transit, transportation infrastructure, etc.) where commuters would be directed to participate in the pilot. RideAmigos will set up the incentives module with a points program to encourage alternative trips based on the objectives defined with the City of Grand Rapids and the City of Tomorrow team. RideAmigos would charge an annual license fee to continue the use of the platform after the pilot has been completed. RideAmigos will support a survey to commuters participating in the pilot to gain insight into the success of the program. Program administrators can report on program outcomes using RideAmigos reporting tools. A RideAmigos partner may continue administration of the program and marketing of the pilot or employers in the region could license the platform.

Describe how you would measure the success of your pilot (1000 characters)

During a three- to six-month pilot period, we will measure by reported shifts in commuter behavior from driving alone to use of other modes including transit, as well as engagement from stakeholders including the public, local agencies, and large employers. Program administrators will have the capability to run targeted surveys as well as detailed reports on commute trip data throughout the pilot period. Results from these reports should inform targets for ongoing investment, outreach and communication if the program is extended beyond the pilot phase.

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Photo of Tom Bulten
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Hi RideAmigos: Thank you for posting a proposal that shifts commuting behavior toward walking, biking, and busing! I'm one of the facilitators on the forum. A couple of other incentive platforms have been proposed to the Challenge. If you are looking for local collaborators or expertise you might look at annie young 's proposal to build on the existing mygrcitypoints.com incentive program: https://challenges.cityoftomorrow.com/challenge/grand-rapids/propose/expanding-mygrcitypoints-com.

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