Thousands of daily commuters add to traffic headaches across Santa Barbara County, but a new 90-day carpool pilot aims to change that.

Santa Barbara County, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG), is encouraging employees to turn solo trips into shared rides.

“As one of the region’s largest employers with 4,700 employees, the county is uniquely positioned to lead by example; testing commute solutions at scale that can be expanded to other workplaces across Santa Barbara County,” organizers said.

The campaign, called Spring into a Carpool, is a commuter incentive pilot running April 16-July 14. It is designed to help employees find carpool partners, log trips, and earn incentives, making it easier to turn occasional shared rides into a regular commute routine.

The county and SBCAG’s SmartRide employer program will support participants with carpool matching, events, and tools to help them stay on track.

“SBCAG works to support employer-led solutions that make commuting easier,” said Aaron Bonfilio, director of multi-modal programs at SBCAG. “The county’s pilot provides a real-world example we can build on to expand effective, habit-forming commute programs across the region.”

The pilot builds on recent momentum; last fall, the city of Santa Barbara tested a similar 90-day challenge that shifted 3% of its workforce to alternative transportation modes.

The county developed a milestone-based program that helps employees build a consistent carpool routine step by step.

“This program responds to employees’ desire to avoid driving by themselves,” said Garrett Wong, sustainability division manager for the county of Santa Barbara. “We hope that when they give carpooling a chance, they’ll find that it saves money and stress.”

Measure A, the region’s half-cent transportation sales tax, invests in programs like SmartRide that make commuting easier and reduces traffic across Santa Barbara County and is available to all employers and members of the public.

Learn more about SBCAG’s employer program or personalized commuter support by visiting SBCAG.org/employer; emailing info@SBCAG.org; or calling 805-600-4477.

SBCAG) is the region’s federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization and state-designated Regional Transportation Planning Agency, coordinating transportation planning and funding across Santa Barbara County and supporting regional housing planning efforts.