Philadelphia Unemployment Project

As of July of this year, the Commuter Options program has 20 van pools in operation with 2 new pools scheduled to start by the end of the month. PUPCO is providing service from almost every neighborhood in Philly to suburban employers. Our employers include Quest Diagnostics, Brooks-Eckerd (soon to be Rite-Aid), Hartford Insurance, and Synthes. In the coming months, Hartford Insurance is planning to hire a number of new employees. PUPCO’s Project Developer is working with Hartford to assure that their new hires are aware of the our program and it is hoped that new pools will be formed with Philly residents going to this suburban location.

In anticipation of new pools and with an eye towards fuel efficiency PUPCO has purchased 2 Chevy Impalas to service pools with less than 6 riders. This has resulted in fuel savings and the response from the riders to their new cars have been positive.

There has been several success stories related to the program. One employee, a former welfare to work participant, who commutes from North Philly to Brooks drugs in Fairless Hills (Soon to be Rite aid) has been promoted to Fork Lift Operator; and has received a grant from the Dept of Welfare to purchase her own vehicle which she now uses to commute to her new position.

A major success has been the establishment of 7 new pools with Jobs1, a staffing agency, which is operating a manufacturing facility for U-Haul in Fairless Hills. These vans are coming from North Philly, Kensington, Frankford, West Philly, Overbrook, Olney, Germantown with over 40 riders for 2 shifts. Jobs1 and U-Haul will be providing a subsidy for their van pools and has been very supportive of our program. It is anticipated that their aggressive hiring program will fill the current pools and create new ones.

The future for Commuter Options in the Delaware Valley is bright. We plan to meet our goals of 37 pools by the end of the year and give new opportunities for Philly residents to find well paying jobs in the suburbs.