*By Jacqueline Corba*
Google's navigation app Waze expanded its carpool service on Wednesday to reach commuters across the U.S.
"We want to help everyone reduce traffic," the company's head of carpool, Josh Fried, told Cheddar Rides.
Only 8 percent of commuters are carpooling, according to Waze data. Fried said if the company can boost that figure to double digits, it will be able to make a dent in traffic congestion.
In the past, Waze has only been available in [13 U.S. states](https://cheddar.com/videos/how-to-make-money-on-your-commute) in addition to markets in Brazil and Israel. Now the service will be available anywhere in the U.S.
The nationwide launch comes just 6 months after a relaunch of the app, which was initiated after the company realized the importance of an interpersonal connection, Fried said.
"It's not blind-matching anymore," he said. "It's really about making connections for commuters that live near where you live or work near where you work."
Waze's carpool service offers riders an affordable trip and reimburse drivers for gas.
For the launch, Waze was able to rely on the deep pockets of parent company Google, a unit of Alphabet ($GOOGL).
Fried said 1.3 million of Waze navigation app users have, as of this week, opted in for adding the carpool app to their devices.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/googles-waze-takes-carpooling-service-nationwide).
Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon.
Motley Fool’s Bill Mann unpacks October 10th's market chaos, what triggered it, and where smart investors should look next. Don’t miss his expert insight!
Skift airline reporter Meghna Maharishi breaks down how the government shutdown is hitting air traffic control—and what it means for travelers and flight safety
Aya Kantorovich, Co-CEO of August Digital, breaks down Bitcoin’s surge, crypto ETFs, institutional investment trends, and the future of safer crypto access.
Most members of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate setting committee supported further reductions to its key interest rate this year, minutes from last month’s meeting showed.
