Part 5 of a 10 Part Series See Tip 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Transportation alone has one of the biggest impacts on our climate. It is easy to see how much the emissions are affecting our environment but it is also important to address the negative social impacts of driving. Traffic congestion, which is an inevitable consequence of how many single-occupancy vehicles fill up our roads, causes stress, consumes valuable time, and costs us money. We need to rethink the way that we get around and learn to love other modes of transportation besides our cars. The good news is that there are plenty of benefits to changing the way you travel. Biking and walking will improve your health, riding on Sonoma County buses is free for students, apps like Carma and My Open Road reward you financially for sharing rides, ride-share programs like Lyft and Uber allow you to get anywhere you want without worrying about driving, and the money you save from buying less gas is a win in itself. We as a society are making smarter choices about transportation. Join the movement!
-Vehicle emissions alone produce over ⅓ of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides in our atmosphere, and account for almost 30% of all U.S. global warming pollution. - Ride your bike or take the bus:
- Riding your bike is a great excuse to exercise and eliminate your travel emissions.
- Using the Sonoma County Transit is FREE for students. Just bring your student ID and a proof of your age!
-Carma:
- Download the Carma app and get rewarded every time you share a ride!
- After your first 25 trips you get a $25 Amazon gift card and every time you ride with someone new you get an additional $10 to Amazon!
-Fill it up:
- Next time you and your friends are going out for lunch or a night on the town, meet up and take one car instead of meeting there.
- You save gas and avoid the hassle of finding multiple parking spots.
People are beginning to demand more public transit and fortunately communities are benefiting economically and socially from it. Statistically, researchers are starting to see more people between the ages of 16-34 spending less time in their cars, riding their bikes and walking, and using public transportation. Transportation is one of the most important and daunting sustainability issues to tackle but the positive changes start with you. Though people love their cars, they also want to do what is most economically and socially responsible for themselves. Let's push for more walkability and bike infrastructure in our communities, and let's invest and participate in better, faster, and reliable public transportation. We are heading in the right direction! Think about what you can do to reduce your transportation footprint.