Douglas County Vanpool Gets A New Name And Look

DOUGLASVILLE, GA—Douglas County’s successful commuter vanpool program is getting a make-over.

For thirty years, the vanpool program that carries local residents to work locations throughout the Atlanta area operated under the name Douglas County Rideshare. But in Fall 2018, the Rideshare name was retired, and the vanpool service became part of the new Connect Douglas offering of transit and mobility opportunities.

Since its inception in 1986, the vanpool program has proudly proclaimed “Douglas County Vanpool” on its vehicles. With the changeover to Connect Douglas, county officials said new vans are being wrapped with the colorful and eye-catching Connect Douglas branding. Seven new vans have the new wrapping and will soon be on the roads.

The new van wrappings will match that on the Connect Douglas fixed route and paratransit vehicles that were put in service last June, according to Douglas County Spokesperson Rick Martin.

For the vanpool program, the change over from Rideshare to Connect Douglas will be gradual, explained Connect Douglas Director Gary Watson.

“We have more than 50 vans in our fleet,” Watson said. “To try to rebrand all of them in a few months would be very expensive and a logistical nightmare. So, what we are doing is, as we purchase new vehicles, we are putting the Connect Douglas branding on them. Gradually, as we replace old vans with new ones, we will have the entire fleet branded as Connect Douglas, but for a while, you will still continue to see Douglas County Vanpool on many of our vehicles.”

After using the name Douglas County Rideshare for thirty years, it was time for a change, Watson said.

“The name Rideshare served us well,” Watson said, “but as we grew and added more services, we needed a name that would better reflect our mission, which is to connect Douglas County to the people, places and events that are important to them.”

Connect Douglas offers a variety of transit and mobility services, including:

• Fixed route
• Flex and Paratransit service
• Commuter vanpooling
• Transportation assistance for seniors 60 and over and individuals with disabilities
• Trip planning

The Connect Douglas vanpool program delivers hundreds of area residents to and from work daily. A few years ago, when gas prices were $4 per gallon, there were 60 Rideshare vans in operation, county officials said. Today, even with low gas prices and many people teleworking, Connect Douglas still has 35 active routes.

Routes are scattered throughout metro Atlanta, from Alpharetta to Downtown. Price per person is based on the round trip mileage and the number of passengers in a vanpool.

Schedule information on the vanpool program is available at www.connectdouglas.com, by calling 770-949-7665, Option 5 or visiting the Douglas County Transportation Center at 8800 Dorris Road in Douglasville behind the Courthouse.