One thousand Co Meath-based commuters have registered their desire to stop spending up to four hours a day travelling to work in Dublin.
The commuters, from all parts of the county, have responded to an initiative by Meath County Council and the County Enterprise Board that could alleviate the pressure on the roads while also encouraging new business to locate in the county.
"We have been amazed at the response we have got since the website was launched in December," said Mr Frank Fitzmaurice, the economic development officer with the council.
The website, www.workinmeath.ie, is building a database of the work skills available in the county. It will be analysed and used to encourage investment in creating jobs in the county.
Leaflet drops and large signs on the main N2 and N3 routes have been used to promote the site, and in the first week of January there was a surge in the number of people registering which effectively doubled the number of 'hits'.
It has gathered information on where people live, how far they commute to work, what areas their skills are in, their position in their work and their salary.
"We know from earlier research that around 20,000 people spend up to two hours commuting each way between their home in Meath and work in Dublin, and I am confident the information we are gathering from the site will become a significant factor when companies are deciding whether to locate outside of Dublin."
Workforce stability is a huge factor in reducing overheads for companies. Employees who live close to where they work are less likely to change jobs, thereby cutting down on the cost of training new staff and on the cost of losing the skills of staff who leave.