CAMPO launches paid carpool matching for I-35 commuters

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Central Texas commuters stuck in I-35 construction now have a paid alternative. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's (CAMPO) We Ride I-35 program matches people traveling between Austin, Buda, and Kyle, then lets each carpool group set its own schedule. Sign-up takes an interest form listing route, timing, and driving preferences; CAMPO does the matching.

Participants earn $5 per day, up to $150, for logging trips in the CTXGO app, and eligible riders get a free ride home in an emergency. The program is one tool in what planners call transportation demand management—using roads more efficiently instead of building new ones. It runs against Hays County's rapid growth and years of I-35 construction.

Why it matters

For Kyle and Buda commuters, this is a paid alternative to solo driving on a construction-choked I-35—and a test of whether small incentives ease congestion.

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Key Indicators

Daily carpool reward

Commuters earn $5 per day for logging eligible carpool trips in the CTXGO app.

$150

Maximum reward

Cap on the total incentive a participant can earn through the program.

100

New residents daily

Regional growth pace cited by CAMPO's community outreach manager.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Doise Miers

Community outreach manager, CAMPO

Public voice of the We Ride I-35 program

Organizations Involved

Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)

Metropolitan Planning Organization

Federally designated regional planner; runs We Ride I-35

CAMPO is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization for six Central Texas counties—Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson.

CTXGO

Regional travel app partnership

Technology partner powering We Ride I-35

CTXGO is a regional transportation app providing lane closures, construction alerts, and travel impact info, plus ride matching and commuter rewards.

Timeline

September 2026 October 2026

2 events Latest: Yesterday

October 2026
CAMPO publicly launches I-35 carpool program
Latest Announcement

Press release details $5 daily rewards, $150 caps, and Guaranteed Ride Home for registered carpoolers.
Yesterday
September 2026
We Ride I-35 begins accepting sign-ups
Program launch

CAMPO starts matching Kyle and Buda commuters traveling to Austin, per Community Impact reporting.
September 2026

Scenarios

We Ride I-35 expands to other corridors

Possible Resolves by Oct 28, 2027

Discussed by: CAMPO community outreach manager Doise Miers (Community Impact)

If Kyle-Buda enrollment is strong, CAMPO replicates the matching-and-rewards model on another congested route. Miers said the approach "could provide a model for similar efforts elsewhere" as Central Texas grows.

Incentive cash runs out

Unlikely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Program funding structure (city of Austin carbon-reduction grant)

The $5-per-day reward pool is finite and capped at $150 per participant. If enrollment exceeds what the grant covers—or the grant isn't renewed—CAMPO may end payments, weakening the program's pull.

We Ride I-35 logs more than 1,000 registered riders

Possible Resolves by Oct 28, 2027

Discussed by: Program design; CTXGO app metrics

If matching works and word spreads during I-35 construction, enrollment could cross four figures. A published count above 1,000 would signal the model is gaining traction.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

July-August 1996

Atlanta Olympic Transportation Demand Management (1996)

Before the 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta faced warnings of gridlock. Transportation agencies instead pushed telecommuting, staggered work hours, carpooling, and expanded transit to cut peak car trips during the games.

Then

Traffic stayed near normal during the Olympics, defying predictions of paralysis.

Now

The playbook became a standard template for event-based congestion management.

Why this matters now

We Ride I-35 uses the same logic—convincing drivers to share trips—applied daily instead of for a two-week event.

1973

First U.S. HOV lane, Shirley Highway (1973)

Northern Virginia opened the nation's first high-occupancy-vehicle lane on the Shirley Highway (now I-395), reserved for buses and carpools. It gave shared rides a faster, dedicated path past solo drivers.

Then

The lane moved more people per hour than the general-purpose lanes beside it.

Now

HOV lanes spread across U.S. metros as a core carpool incentive.

Why this matters now

Carpooling to beat congestion is a decades-old idea; We Ride I-35 adds modern matching and cash rewards instead of a dedicated lane.