Hartford Business Journal

HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 17, 2023 11 Nanci Carnabuci Fitzgerald (right) took over as the CEO of The Rideshare Co. in July. She is seen talking to board chair Robert Croce. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED Decongesting Roadways Under new leadership, The Rideshare Co. navigates post-pandemic employee commuting patterns By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com N anci Carnabuci Fitzgerald has been named the new president and CEO of The Rideshare Co., a Bloomfield-based ride-sharing nonprofit with a nation- wide reach and global-minded goals of reducing single-vehicle drivers and their environmental effects. Carnabuci Fitzgerald started at the nonprofit in 2006 as vice president of business development, leading sales and marketing. She took over in July for the now-retired Jon Colman, who founded the organization in 1980 to make it easier for people to get to and from work, while also measur- ably reducing both road congestion and energy consumption. It provides ride-sharing services and programs for private compa- nies, government agencies and residential facilities. The Rideshare Co. got its start following the gas shortages of the 1970s. Its eco-conscious mission, at the time, was unfamiliar — back "when green was just a color," Carna- buci Fitzgerald said. It launched "Easy Street" as an early division in the 1990s and 2000s, tapping volunteers to drive vans full of people to the same location, often to the workplace. Today, Rideshare Co. has 12 employees and two main divisions. Easy Commute is a web-based commuter-benefits and incentive program that manages employee ride-sharing for businesses. Easy Fleet provides vehicles to organiza- tions for their transportation needs. More than four decades after its founding, Rideshare Co. faces several modern-day challenges, including differentiating itself from the popularity of ride-hailing services, and dealing with a workforce that doesn't commute to the office as much as it did pre-pandemic. Carnabuci Fitzgerald has been tapped to confront those headwinds. "We're moving multiple people at a time, that's how we differ from Uber and Lyft, which is on-demand ride- hailing, not ride-sharing," she said. "Then there's fixed-route transpor- tation like buses and trains. Then there's what we do, which is provide vehicles for internal transportation for employers." Good value Easy Commute is used mostly by large employers for their workers, whereas Easy Fleet is a service provided for seniors, people with disabilities and others in need through partnerships with residential and group homes, assisted living facilities and nonprofits. Canton-based Favarh is a nonprofit that supports high school students and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Rideshare Co. provides residen- tial services to individuals living in Favarh's group homes and supported apartments, to get them to work, day programs, appointments and healthy lifestyle activities. "We have used Rideshare vehi- cles since around 2006, and it is a good value to our organization," said Favarh Executive Director Stephen Morris. Rideshare also provides work opportunities for some Favarh participants who conduct light office work, providing employment and work experience. Rideshare Co. is a 501(c)(3) organization, but it operates more like a business, generating revenue strictly from clients, Carnabuci Fitzgerald said. In fiscal year 2022, Rideshare Co. generated more than $6.2 million in revenue, with more than $7.4 million projected for fiscal 2023. It was not profitable in fiscal 2022 but is "on track for a profitable year in 2023," Carnabuci Fitzgerald said. "We often do make money, we have to buy vehicles and pay for fuel. But we work very close to the bone. We don't always turn a profit," she said. Rideshare Co.'s success is also measured by the positive effects of its services. Rideshare Co. offers an online commuter calculator that tallies the true cost of a single-rider vehicle. A 45-mile daily commute, including the cost of gas, tolls, parking and vehicle wear and tear, can add up to more than $500 a month and roughly $6,800 a year. So far, Rideshare Co. calculates that its services have yielded 15 million fewer vehicle trips, 576 million fewer miles traveled, 287,000 fewer tons of emissions released into the air, and 27 million gallons of gasoline conserved. Employees of one client, Fox Corp., from 2009 to 2022 saved more than $8.5 million in commuter costs, 24 million vehicle miles and 1 million gallons of gas, according to Rideshare Co. "We've taken countless cars off the road and reduced vehicle miles by millions," Carnabuci Fitzgerald said. "That's our mission, to provide trans- portation solutions, be environmental stewards and lessen the burdens of government. And we do all that just by moving people together." Electrifying fleet Easy Commute rates are based on the number of employees using the service, whereas Easy Fleet prices are mileage-based and deter- mined by the vehicles utilized, which range from small sedans to trucks, AT A GLANCE Organization: The Rideshare Co. Industry: Ride-sharing services Top Executive: Nanci Carnabuci Fitzgerald, CEO HQ: 1404 Blue Hills Ave., Bloomfield Website: www.rideshare.com Contact: 800-972-3279

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