Commuting smarter, together

The free ConnectingVA mobile app, and accompanying desktop website, serve three primary functions:

• Carpool Matching: Identify ConnectingVA users in your area who you may be able to carpool with.
• Trip Logging: Log your trips taken by foot, bike, transit, carpool, and telecommuting and earn rewards for your efforts.
• Rewards: Earn rewards to redeem your points for cash gift card drawing entries or for a Ride Home Rewards when eligible.

ConnectingVA is a website and app created by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) to provide a central resource for Virginians to learn about, access, and make use of transit options that meet their needs. DRPT partners with and provides funding to commuter assistance programs, operated by transit agencies, local governments, planning agencies, and transportation management associations throughout the Commonwealth.

RideShare is a commuter assistance program with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) and utilizes their Virginia-wide ConnectingVA program to provide free ridematching to find carpools, vanpools, and all forms of public transportation, trip planning, and information on park-and-ride lots, bike share services, electric vehicle charging stations, and rewards.

The website and mobile app provide the same main functions – carpool matching, trip logging, and rewards. The app provides additional features such as third-party app integration to log bike and walking trips with Garmin and Strava.

• Go to “Find”: Find your carpool match by going to “Find” in the navigation bar. Enter your home address and work address, or another start and end point to your trip. Matches will appear below as icons (representing carpool, vanpool, transit matches). Select the icon for the transportation mode you are looking for to view matches in list format.
• Refine your matches: Narrow down your matches by selecting the toggle icon on the bottom right or left of your screen. Carpool with colleagues only by selecting “Organization”. Or select matches based on recent activity, depart/return time, gender, language and more. If you have trouble finding a match, try expanding your search radius by selecting “+/- 2 miles”. Or filter your matches by selecting “On the Way”.
• Compare options by mode: Select the icon representing “Compare Options” on the bottom right or left of your screen to compare cost savings, timing, and other factors for choosing each mode.
• Contact your matches: Contact your match through the app by selecting their name from the list. It will be synced to your preferred email account.

• Go to “Record”: Select “Record”. Complete the checklist, such as transportation mode, route origin and destination, and commute or non-commute.
• Record trips automatically: If you have a regular commute, record your trips automatically to accrue points for rewards. Under record, select “Auto-Record Trips” and select your mode and the number of commute days to make trip logging simple.
• Sync trips: Sync trips from other apps such as Garmin and Strava.

• View your points: View the number of points you have by selecting “Rewards” or “Home” in the navigation bar. You automatically begin with 1,000 points.
• Go to “Rewards”: Select a cash gift card amount to enter the drawing.
• Redeem your reward: Select the reward you would like to redeem. Once you’ve selected your reward, the value for the reward will be listed at the bottom. Select “Enter to Win” and answer the questions. If selected in the drawing, your reward will be emailed to you once the drawing is complete. See the “Terms” section attached to each reward to learn about drawing time.

For more information on how to redeem your Ride Home Reward, visit our Ride Home Rewards page.

Yes. You can earn rewards for commute and non-commute related trips.