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Save the environment, one commute at a time

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Hop on the bus
For big time gains in reducing greenhouse gases, few things beat transit, and buses lead the way, consuming only 1.5% of the energy used to transport us to work, while carrying more passengers than trains.

Commuting by bus could be for you if you:

  • Live within 15 miles of work and within 15 minutes (on foot) of a bus stop.
  • Work within 15 minutes of a bus stop.
  • Have to make no more than one transfer.
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To ease the environmental impact when commuting by bus, urge your local transit agency to use CNG (methane) buses and other cleaner-burning technologies.

Take the "E" train for the environment
As for buses, commuting by train only consumes 1.5% of the total transportation energy. 

Consider commuting by train for:

  • Distances greater than 15 miles (except for intra-city trips, which can be much shorter).
  • If you live in the suburbs, but work in the central business district.
  • Have easy access to a train station (less than 15 minutes) and easy access to work (less than 15 minutes).
  • You have difficult or expensive parking at work.

To further ease the environmental impact when commuting by train:

  • Find a way to the train station without taking your car. Walk, if 1 mile, bike if less than 5 miles. This helps eliminate "cold" starts, which produce a disproportionate amount of air pollution for the distance.

While only 5% of the working population uses the bus or train to get to work, it helps the environment on several fronts:

  • In the U.S., buses and trains combined put out 1/10 the CO2 that cars and trucks produce.
  • New York City Transit alone, reduces air pollution by 400 million pounds each year.
  • Employer paid transit expenses are tax free up to $115 month. That's $1380 per year that never shows up on your W-2 form.
  • Using transit to get to work is not wasted time. Riders can read a book, concentrate on paper work, eat breakfast or dinner and even catch a quick nap.

Technological aids also help maximize the time spent in transit.

  • Use PDAs and laptops to catch up on work.
  • Internet-enabled devices, such as the "Blackberry," help commuters stay wired.
  • "JOTT" enables any ordinary cell phone to send e-mail messages and faxes from you home computer and fax machine; (866) JOTT-123.

Human-powered commuting
Believe it or not, far more people walk to work (just over 2%) than take a motorcycle, or even a bicycle for that matter. Walking and biking, of course, use zero petrochemicals and produce minuscule amounts of CO2. Bicycling just one day reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 24 pounds.

Telecommuting
Telecommuting means not going anywhere, but only in the literal sense. Approximately 3.6% of Americans e-mail, phone, or fax their completed work to their jobsite, remaining at home and saving tremendous quantities of gasoline while reducing air pollution. Talk to your employer about setting up a telecommuting program. Doing it just one day per week cuts your carbon footprint by 20%.

Obviously, we have many options at hand to save the environment. Take any of the above steps to do your part and help ensure a cleaner earth for ourselves and our children.

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