A program of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project provides easier access to better-paying jobs available in the suburbs, writes Jane Von Bergen for The Philadelphia Citizen.

Commuter Options is a car-pool program in which workers drive themselves and fellow employees to jobs in the counties surrounding the city. The riders pay $6 a day per round trip. This helps offset the expenses for leasing, gas, and maintenance for the vehicles.

The program started in Philadelphia 12 years ago with one minivan. Today, the program is funded through a $367,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. It serves around 65 Philadelphians who work in the suburbs.

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John Dodds, executive director of the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, said that the PennDOT grant, together with an additional $250,000 from the city, would boost the service to transport 300 people. That grant is currently up for renewal.

According to Dodds, the service is sorely needed to get Philadelphians to where the jobs are.

“We have a 1970 transportation system with a 2018 economy,” he said. “It leaves people isolated, without an opportunity to get ahead.”

Read more about the Commuter Options program from The Philadelphia Citizen by clicking here.

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