Douglas County’s commuter van pool program is getting a makeover.
For 30 years, the van pool program - that carries local residents to work locations throughout the Atlanta area - operated under the name Douglas County Rideshare.
However, in fall 2018, the Rideshare name was retired, and the van pool service became part of the new Connect Douglas offering of transit and mobility opportunities, according to a Douglas County statement.
With the changeover to Connect Douglas, new vans are being wrapped with the Connect Douglas branding.
Seven new vans have the new wrapping and will be on the roads.
The new van wrappings will match that on the Connect Douglas fixed route and paratransit vehicles that were put in service last June.
For the van pool program, the change from Rideshare to Connect Douglas will be gradual, explained Connect Douglas Director Gary Watson.
“We have more than 50 vans in our fleet,” Watson said. “To try to rebrand all of them in a few months would be very expensive and a logistical nightmare.
“So what we are doing, as we purchase new vehicles, is putting the Connect Douglas branding on them,” Watson added. “Gradually, as we replace old vans with new ones, we will have the entire fleet branded as Connect Douglas; but for a while, you will still continue to see Douglas County Vanpool on many of our vehicles.”
“As we grew and added more services, we needed a name that would better reflect our mission, which is to connect Douglas County to the people, places and events that are important to them,” Watson added.
Connect Douglas offers a variety of transit and mobility services, including fixed route, flex and paratransit service, commuter van pooling, transportation assistance for seniors ages 60 and over and individuals with disabilities and trip planning.
The Connect Douglas van pool program delivers hundreds of area residents to and from work daily.
A few years ago, when gas prices were $4 per gallon, there were 60 Rideshare vans in operation.
Today, even with lower gas prices and many people teleworking, Connect Douglas still has 35 active routes that are scattered throughout metro Atlanta from Alpharetta to downtown Atlanta.
Price per person is based on the round trip mileage and the number of passengers in a van pool.
Schedule information: 770-949-7665, option 5, ConnectDouglas.com or the Douglas County Transportation Center, 8800 Dorris Road, Douglasville behind the Douglas County Courthouse.
Information: CelebrateDouglasCounty.com/view/news/view1news/&cnews=1475
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