Local Ride Sharing App Recognized With Prestigious Environmental Award

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Did you know when you rideshare you not only contribute to less traffic congestion but also help the environment? Thanks to its efforts to motivate individuals to rideshare with cash incentives, ridesharing app Hytch has taken over a million miles off the road and these achievements are not only being recognized by the technology and transit communities but also environmentalists.

Technology created by Hytch LLC and used by employers of all sizes to motivate smarter mobility decisions has captured both the imagination of industry and earned this Nashville based company the 2018 Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award.

“Tennessee is a great place to innovate and create,” said Matt Largen, President and CEO of Williamson Inc. “Hytch Rewards is partnering with our largest employers from the auto industry to educational institutions, on a straight path to defeat traffic and protect clean air. Hytch puts the power of change in each of our hands and reminds us that incentives work.”

The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Award are the most prestigious environmental and conservation awards in the state, recognizing exceptional voluntary projects or initiatives that improve or protect our environment and natural resources. Hytch Rewards earned recognition in the category of Clean Air based on criteria that includes innovation, the impact of on-the-ground achievements and public education.

Now in their 32nd year, the awards are designed to bring greater awareness and recognition to projects making outstanding contributions to Tennessee’s natural resources and to promote leadership by example in protecting and conserving the state’s wildlife, forests, soils, air, water, natural heritage, parks, and recreation.  Every ride tracked and rewarded by Hytch is a carbon neutral mile driven.

After two years in development, the Hytch Rewards app launched in February with Nissan North America as the first automaker to pledge funds to reward two or more people in a car willing to track their ride in the state of Tennessee. In less than 100 days, Hytch Rewards sponsored more than 43,000 rides resulting in over 1.6 million vehicle miles not driven in Tennessee and 494 less tons of carbon in our state’s atmosphere (as of 05/22/2018). That’s the equivalent of over 33,000 trees saved, or 660 acres of healthy forest – saved by users – one trip at a time.  Hytch’s partners achieved these results with less than $60,000 in cash payments to reward Tennessee commuters.

“Imagine no fight over millions, billions and decades,” says Mark Cleveland, the Co-Founder and CEO of Hytch, “because we can prove nickels and dimes get measurable results today.

“Congestion relief is about asset utilization,” Cleveland asserts. “It’s about shared assets, the fact that people do more of what you reward them to do and it’s embarrassingly obvious once you stop to think about it.  Nissan made our idea credible and cleared a path for other sponsors and employers to follow. They really deserve this award.”

According to Hytch data, a six percent adoption rate in carpooling would eliminate 1,500 daily trips into Nashville. At typical highway speed, that is the equivalent of adding an extra lane to the interstate at any given point, at no cost to taxpayers.

About Hytch LLC
Hytch Rewards is a smartphone app that tracks and rewards ridesharing behavior using first-of-a-kind technology developed in Nashville, Tenn.  Winner of the 2016 Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s “Innovation Award,” 2018 Nashville Technology Council’s “Emerging Company of the Year,” and recipient of a 2016-2017 Federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grant, Hytch is quickly validating the platform and business model in Nashville with plans for nationwide expansion.  Launch partners include the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Nissan North America, Franklin Synergy Bank, Lipscomb University, Reliant Bank, Goodwill Industries of Middle TN, Onin Staffing, and Sprint Absolute Wireless.