The United States and Israel\u2019s conflict in Iran, and the constricted flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, has caused gas prices across the country to soar. That\u2019s made workplace commutes more costly for Americans already facing an affordability crisis.<\/p>\n
For students, staff, and faculty at the University of Washington, though, they have a new way to get to work if they want to ditch their cars. <\/p>\n
The university recently set up a partnership with Ridepanda, which allows companies to offer e-bike and scooter subscriptions as a workplace perk.<\/p>\n
The partnership was in the works for a while as part of the campus\u2019s sustainability goals. <\/p>\n
But the timing is fortuitous: Commuters could start using Ridepanda as of early April, right after national gas prices exceeded $4 a gallon for the first time in four years<\/a>. Prices have only increased since then.<\/p>\n Just as April was a record month for gas prices, it was also a record month for new Ridepanda subscribers, the company says. <\/p>\n Overall, subscribers are up 46% since gas prices first began to spike in March, and up 94% compared with this time last year. Ridepanda saw a record day for orders in April, when they were 311% above the average, and has continued to see that trend play out into May.<\/p>\n The majority of new subscribers are also new to the world of micromobility, says Ridepanda cofounder and CEO Chinmay Malaviya.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not yet clear how many are switching from gas vehicles because of the oil crisis, but the company says on average, its riders\u2014many of whom have never biked to work before\u2014replace about six car trips per week. That saves companies some 1,500 pounds of CO2 emissions per employee per year. <\/p>\n The surge in interest now makes sense to Malaviya: “We run surveys . . . and ask, What triggered you to do this now? What incentivized you?\u201d he says. \u201cCost is increasingly a factor . . . it is top of mind for many.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s one of the top three reasons customers turn to Ridepanda, those surveys have found, along with the sustainability and the health benefits of biking over driving.<\/p>\n Costs can include hefty parking fees, particularly in downtown areas, as well the broader expenses of car ownership. Malaviya expects that rising gas prices are increasingly becoming a factor.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were planning for growth, but it has come in at an even higher level,\u201d he says. \u201cWe couldn’t predict these gas prices in advance. It has had a significant delta growth shift for us.\u201d<\/p>\nA record month for Ridepanda subscribers<\/h2>\n
Daily commuting costs are increasing <\/h2>\n
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