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Greening Up Your Commute

15 Oct 2008

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Many people look for ways to be more environmentally friendly, but often overlook simple changes they can make to daily commuting habits.  The next time you’re driving to work, be reminded that transportation accounts for approximately one-third of all greenhouse gasses produced in the country and that motor vehicles emit 20 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) per gallon of gas burned, for a national average of 5.5 tons per year, per motorist.  Plus, if you sit in any kind of traffic, note that 2.9 billion gallons of gasoline are wasted daily by commuters stuck in traffic.  It’s time to review your daily commute and ask yourself if you can make some of the following changes to be more “green.”  Some of them will even save you some green, too.

If driving is your only option
Approximately 77% of American workers insist on driving alone to work, burning up 34% of the energy used in getting around.  If you’re one of them, at least consider these methods for staying in the driver seat, but still being more “green.”
  • Avoid high speeds and remove bike and luggage racks to reduce wind resistance. Calculations demonstrate a decrease of 3 miles per gallon between 55-65 mph.
  • Easy on the pedal, killer. Gentle acceleration cuts down on gas usage.
  • Don’t be brake happy.  Coast to a stop rather than braking suddenly to save gas and lower the amount of asbestos fibers in the air.
  • Only use “cruise control” on the open highway. In heavy traffic, it simply wastes gas.
  • Practice optimized shifting techniques. Get into higher gears as quickly as possible.
  • Switch off the air conditioner to save 5% to 15% of the energy your car uses.
  • If you anticipate idling for a minute or more, shut the engine off.
  • Lighten up: 1% of fuel efficiency is lost for every 50 pounds of extra weight in your trunk.
  • Keep tires fully inflated to manufacturer’s specifications for a 3% gas savings.
  • Use multi-grade motor oil to improve mileage by 1.5% to 2.7%.
  • Keep your vehicle in good state of tune.
Lastly, practice combining errands. This reduces “cold starts,” which account for a disproportionate amount of air pollution.

Ride Sharing
Partner with a co-worker to commute to the office.  A two-person carpool immediately slashes the impact on the earth by 50%.

Other advantages to carpooling include:
  • You can use the HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lane and therefore reduce your commute time.
  • Savings of up to $3,000 per year, if you consider the IRS mileage rate of 58.5 cents per mile
  • More free time during the commute to read, eat, rest.
Many transit agencies across the country even provide ride sharing services to help those interested in carpooling find one another.

Take advantage of traffic reports
A car puts out three times more hydrocarbons at 15 mph, than it does at 50 mph so avoid sitting in air-choking traffic by getting traffic reports and using new real-time traffic reporting technologies in GPS devices.

Mass Transit Options – All aboard!

The use of mass transit significantly reduces greenhouse gases.  Buses are the most efficient, consuming only 1.5% of the energy used to transport people to work and they carry more passengers than trains.  Plus, cities across the nation from New York City to Tacoma, WA are increasing their fleets of CNG (methane) buses, which burns even cleaner.  Consider the bus if you live close to a bus stop and within 15 miles of work.  A 15 minute walk to the bus stop is reasonable and squeezes some exercise into your day.

Alternatively, commuting by train only consumes 1.5% of the total transportation energy.  If you live more than 15 miles from work, consider commuting by train, especially if you live in a suburb but work in the city.  A 15 minute walk on either end of your commute is another great way to incorporate some exercise into your day.  Or if it’s more than a 15 minute walk, consider biking rather than driving a car to the train station.  This reduces the number of “cold” starts, which produce a disproportionate amount of air pollution.  Besides, commuting by train can save considerable amounts if parking at work is expensive as it is in many major cities around the country.

While only 5% of the working population uses the bus or train to get to work, still it helps the environment.  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 of CO2.

Additionally, many of the nation’s employers offer tax-free commuter benefit programs to help protect the environment and save on taxes.  The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) estimates that with a gallon of gasoline at $3.90, a person can save about $8,000 a year by switching to mass transit, according to a July report by the APTA.  With tax-free commuter benefit programs, employees can designate up to $115 a month – $1380 a year – as a pre-tax salary deduction to be used to pay for transit fares.  Typically, employees save 40 percent from less payroll and income taxes, while employers save 8 to 10 percent in payroll related costs.

The Human Powered Commute - Walking or Biking
If you can walk or bike to work all the better, 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
Working from home saves tremendous quantities of gasoline while reducing air pollution. Take advantage of the growing popularity of corporate telecommuting programs or request one.  Working from home even just one day per week cuts your carbon footprint by 20%.

Just remember every little bit helps.