SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In recognition of the 49th annual Earth Day, the Washington Business Alliance (WaBA) and Hytch LLC, a Nashville-based social impact technology company, announced plans to use positive behavior reinforcement technology to reduce traffic congestion and transportation carbon emissions. Launched last year, Hytch has tracked and rewarded the elimination of more than 5.8 million vehicle miles in the Nashville area.
Over the coming months WaBA and Hytch will work together to:
- Reinforce desired commute behavior using Hytch Rewards, a free app currently available for iPhone and Android. Hytch Rewards makes every shared ride carbon neutral, shows “trees saved,” and provides cash rewards for carpools, rideshares, or use of public transit for people who live in sponsored areas or work for an employee sponsor. Rewards can also be customized based on the selection of alternative travel routes, modes of transportation, number of occupants, time of day, bridge crossings, construction pinch points, parking locations, and other considerations related to social equity.
- Launch Smarter Mobility Pilot Study to optimize incentive systems for shifting commuters away from single occupancy travel during commute times. Quantitative data gathered will help transit authorities, municipalities and employers understand user behavior to get better results from their Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) investments.
“Our primary goal at Hytch is to make every mile of all shared rides in America a carbon neutral mile,” said Mark Cleveland, co-founder and CEO of Hytch. “Puget Sound commuters can inspire other cities to join this important Greenhouse Gas reduction program at no cost to commuters. We can drive together and be smart about it.”
The Washington Business Alliance brings practical solutions to the state’s most critical problems. WaBA’s Low Carbon Prosperity Institute has been on the forefront of practical strategies and legislation to reduce carbon emissions in Washington as cost-effectively as possible.
“Use of positive reinforcement complements and leverages the many excellent supply-side Commute Trip Reduction efforts,” said David Giuliani, co-founder and president of WaBA. “We are excited to work with Hytch to apply this technology to transportation congestion and carbon pollution.”
For more information about this work, contact Info@WaBusinessAlliance.org.
About Washington Business Alliance
The Washington Business Alliance is a statewide business organization that is forward-leaning and issue-focused. Its mission is to help solve the state's most critical issues. By working collaboratively, it catalyzes business leadership, bipartisan problem-solving, and data-driven strategies to generate results. To learn more, visit www.planwashington.org.
About Hytch Rewards
Hytch LLC is a Nashville-based social impact technology company that rewards people to lower carbon emissions and protect clean air and reduce traffic congestion by logging their shared commutes with the Hytch Rewards platform. By using the free app for iPhone and Android, Hytch promotes the habits of sharing a ride by enabling users to “Save Trees” and earn cash rewards when available in sponsored markets. Hytch received a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation. It was recognized as the Nashville Technology Council’s Emerging Company of the Year, and received the Tennessee Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation’s Sustainable Transportation Award, and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s 2018 NEXT Award as a Social Enterprise and Sustainability startup. To learn more, visit www.hytch.me or contact press@hytch.me.