Need a Ride? Get Scooped Up

Transportation office partners with fledgling ridesharing service

Erin FoxTHE SANTA CLARASeptember 29, 2016Move aside, Lyft and Uber. Earlier this month, Santa Clara Transportation launched a new partnership with Scoop, a custom carpooling app.“The university was in the market for a new rideshare program,” said Millicent Kenney, director of Parking and Transportation. “Scoop came and presented ... and is definitely on board with us.”When Santa Clara Transportation sent out a campus-wide email detailing the university’s partnership with the app, it caught the eye of sophomore and commuter Neha Nagesh. So far, Nagesh has used the app twice to commute to her home in Fremont, California.“It’s really easy to use and it’s really similar to Uber,” she said. “You enter your address and you just schedule your ride for a certain time slot. (The drivers) were employees working in the valley just trying to get back home by using the carpool lane.”Using Scoop, commuters have the option to decide ahead of time when they want to leave for work, come home from work and if they would rather be a driver, rider or either. According to the Scoop website, morning and afternoon commutes are scheduled separately, with automated matching that creates a custom carpool.“One thing that I would’ve liked to see is a more on-demand scheduling process,” Nagesh said. “You actually have to schedule your rides about six hours in advance and that isn’t always the most convenient when you’re not entirely sure about your schedule,” she added.When Nagesh isn’t using Scoop, she commutes by Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train.According to Santa Clara Transportation, more than 30,000 commuters already use Scoop to carpool, but Kenney said she is unsure how many people have signed up using a Santa Clara email address. Nagesh did not know of any other students that also use the app.“I know of people that are interested in using it,” Nagesh said. “But none that have actually tried it so far.”According to Kinney, those who sign up for Scoop using their university email address will receive a $2 reduction on every ride they take for a limited time.The discount was created as an incentive for students, faculty and staff to try the service.Contact Erin Fox at efox@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852