<i>Follow On The News:</i> Carpooling 'As Well As Expected' Says Kirkwood's Cohee

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Follow On The News: Carpooling 'As Well As Expected' Says Kirkwood's Cohee

By Craig Altschul
July 28, 2008

Kirkwood Mountain Resort in the Lake Tahoe region of the California High Sierra jumped out ahead of the pro-active pack last winter as gas costs rose faster than even the prodigious snowpack. The resort teamed with SnowBomb.com, an online lift ticket retailer, to launch a pilot ride-sharing program.(See IR 7/14 re: gas situation.)

"The first year went as well as we hoped and expected," Kirkwood President Tim Cohee told The Industry Report. "Moving into year two with winter 08/09, we have higher expectations as our partnership with SnowBomb has been redefined."

More than 500 persons had registered for the ride-sharing program within 24 hours of its launch, report's SnowBomb founder Jim McAlpine. There were nearly 2,000 members interacting online by season's end. The company estimates the program led to 1,000 less cars on the highway.

The ride-sharing program will be expanded this winter to several other ski resorts in the region thanks to a $25,000 grant to SnowBomb from the Placer County Air Pollution Control District. The funds are for developing more user-friendly software and marketing online ride-sharing at Alpine Meadows, Homewood, Sugar Bowl, and Squaw Valley USA.

"We've received a lot of positive feedback from the ski resorts in support of this program," said Heather Kuklo, an air quality specialist at PCAPCD. "To see actual quantifiable emission reductions during the first year really shows how much this program is going to not only help reduce traffic and emissions, but also benefit local businesses."

Cohee said the "implementation of new user-friendly features on the blog's home, as well as additional options for carpool meeting locations, will help to streamline the user experience for both the carpool driver and those searching for a ride to Kirkwood." The blog is integrated into the Kirkwood Web site and dubbed "K-POOL."

The goal, potentially for this winter season, is to bring 10 Lake Tahoe area ski resorts into the system, McAlpine said. That could mean as many as 20,000 cars taken off the road, he estimates.

McAlpine said he expects resorts will add some discount incentives to carpoolers using the program. Kirkwood, for example, featured a K-POOL day last season, providing discounts on tickets, rentals, food, and more.

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