| Vol. 10 | No. 2 | Spring 2008 |
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Close to Home
One Fewer Car |
Most people think about their cars first when they think about travel. However, there are a growing number of ways to get where you need to go without your own car that can reduce your pain at the pump and contribution to air pollution and global warming in the process.
Getting around Town
For local destinations, think about whether you can walk, bicycle, or take public transportation. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), nearly half of all U.S. residents live within one-quarter mile of public transportation—less than a 10-minute walk for most people. And some employers subsidize bus and subway passes, helping to reduce costs.
If that's not an option for your daily commute, suggest forming a carpool with any colleagues who live in your town. APTA statistics suggest that if two people carpool just two days per week for a 20-mile round-trip commute, they could reduce their total gasoline consumption by approximately 75 gallons each year and keep nearly one ton of global warming pollution out of the atmosphere. If you'd rather not have to drive at all, consider paying to join a vanpool, which are available in many areas of the country. Visit www.rideshare-directory.com to find carpools or vanpools in your community.
Special Trips
For trips that are not possible or practical without a car, such as a day-trip, weekend getaway, or even your family's weekly grocery shopping, car sharing might come in handy depending on where you live. These membership-based programs, which offer online reservations and keyless access to vehicles parked in locations that have been selected based on their convenience for the largest number of prospective members, are currently available in many major cities and some university campuses (for a list of U.S. programs, visit www.carsharing.net/where.html).
Membership costs vary based on your driving needs; you generally pay an annual fee and are also charged by the mile, hour, or day. The more you drive, the less you usually pay per mile. These charges (which cover gas, insurance, and maintenance) typically range from $60 to $80 each month for two 25-mile trips to $250 per month for eight such trips according to Carsharing Portland—a reasonable price to pay when you consider that AAA estimates the average U.S. citizen spends $650 each month to own, operate, and maintain a personal vehicle.
Long-distance Travel
Going on a cross-country business trip or vacation? You can still save fuel and reduce emissions while on the road by renting a hybrid vehicle. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, and Hertz have all added hybrids to their fleets; these vehicles may cost more to rent than standard models, but you will save on gas. Visit our Hybrid Center website at www.hybridcenter.org/hybridrentals for more information on rental options.
If you need a car for more limited purposes, such as getting across town when public transportation will not work, see if you can take advantage of hybrid taxi service. Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco are replacing the oldest taxicabs in their fleets with hybrids, and services such as Boston and San Francisco's PlanetTran and Washington, DC's EnviroCAB drive hybrids exclusively.
Your choice of transportation will of course depend on your budget and other specific considerations, but whenever you choose one of the options described here, you'll drive—or ride—easier knowing that you have kept one extra car off the road.
Also in this issue of Earthwise:
Dialogue
Will consumers always have to pay more for renewable energy?
