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Uber Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy David Plouffe speaks in Portland, Ore. on Thursday.

The idea of carpooling first arrived in America during World War II and again resurfaced in 1973 during the first oil crisis. But since then, the concept of packing multiple people in vehicles has never really happened on scale.

Now, though, with smartphone technology and companies like Uber and Lyft rolling out new tools, that could change.

Uber Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategy David Plouffe spoke in Portland, Ore., on Thursday at a TechFestNW event and explained how Uber’s carpooling service, UberPool, will help reduce congestion and emissions in a big way.

Plouffe, the former campaign advisor for President Barack Obama, noted how cities don’t have enough time to build new transportation infrastructure adequate for the growing number of people living and working in cities.

“Over the next 10 years the world is going to face — it is a fact that this is happening, it’s coming like a freight train — the greatest pace of urbanization we’ve ever seen,” Plouffe said. “People are coming to cities and coming with great velocity, and it’s not going to stop. That causes all sorts of issues — schools, water, plumbing, all sorts of issues. But with transportation, there are already cities where the congestion is not even tolerable. What will happen over next 10 years?”

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Plouffe said the only option is to reduce the number of cars on the road, and that’s something which UberPool aims to do. The service, available in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris, allows Uber customers to carpool with others who are riding on similar routes.

uberpool11After selecting an UberPool ride, Uber finds another user heading in the same direction, texts you the first name of that person, and tells you who is being picked up first. Then, you’ll both ride together while splitting the cost of a ride. If you aren’t matched with anyone, Uber will still offer you a discount.

Plouffe said that 20 percent of all Uber riders in San Francisco are now using UberPool. He noted that the service is a “trifecta of goodness,” as it is cheaper for the rider, reduces congestion on the road, and brings down vehicle emissions.

“If all vehicles had multiple people, think of what that would do for the planet,” Plouffe said.

Plouffe noted that In Los Angeles, there would never be a traffic jam again if 15 percent of residents carpooled instead of using one car to transport one individual.

Uber has been testing UberPool for less than a year, but seems happy with its progress. Last month, the company detailed how UberPool was saving riders money while reducing the number of miles driven on the roads.

Lyft is also seeing success with its own carpooling service, Lyft Line. The company said in April that Lyft Line now makes up more than 50 percent of its total rides in San Francisco, and more than 30 percent of rides in New York City.

Related: Uber ‘campaign manager’ David Plouffe on why he left the Obama administration to join the ride-hailing revolution 

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