Earth Protect Blog

By Vail Daily

The Interstate 70 corridor has two new carpool apps designed to reduce traffic congestion by connecting drivers and riders headed to Colorado’s ski resorts. The community-oriented platforms feature downloadable apps connecting drivers headed to resorts and various mountain locations with others going to the same destination.

“Increasing the occupancy of vehicles traveling the mountain corridor on weekends is key to reducing I-70 congestion, and carpooling is an important component of that strategy,” said I-70 Coalition Director Margaret Bowes.

“This will be the first time the mountain corridor has had robust carpooling platforms designed for the weekend I-70 traveler. App users will save money, reduce traffic, lessen their carbon footprint and possibly make new friends, too.”

Supporters say the apps create a convenient network for people to get to the ski slopes. During busy ski weekends, more than 50,000 vehicles per day can travel through the Eisenhower Johnson Memorial Tunnels. The new apps, Treadshare and Caravan, aim to reduce ski traffic and travel times by increasing the numbers of passengers in each car.

The apps are free and available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. More information on these apps, carpool incentives offered by resorts and towns, and additional I-70 carpool resources are at GoI70.com/carpool.

How it works

The process begins when a driver posts a day trip itinerary that includes the number of available seats (including room for gear) to a particular ski resort. Drivers will also select a convenient meeting point for passengers. Riders can review available trips on the app and request to join. Drivers must approve a passenger to join.

For Treadshare information, go to Treadshare.com.

For Caravan information, go to Caravancarpool.com.

The I-70 Coalition is a nonprofit organization formed in 2004 with a mission to improve mobility and accessibility on the I-70 Mountain Corridor. Members of the I-70 Coalition include 28 counties, towns and businesses along and adjacent to the I-70 Mountain Corridor. More information is available at I70solutions.org.

The GoI70.com website is where travelers can learn about carpool and transit options, view the weekend travel forecast, and access other congestion avoidance resources.