This New Year, Re-evaluate Your Commute

Welcome to 2010, New Yorkers! Were you trying to think of a good New Year’s resolution? How about changing your driving habits? Cars and trucks are responsible for about 30 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, so the less you drive, the less you pollute. It’s that simple.

Every situation is different, but there are clean-air actions for every commuter. If you work on Long Island or in the Lower Hudson Valley, it may be less practical for you to walk to work. Instead, try a carpool, vanpool bus or train. If you work in New York City, you may want to consider walking or biking. New York City’s Bicycle Access to Buildings Law, announced in December, allows bicycles in buildings, so take advantage of this new law! Walking or biking also keeps you in shape, so you’ll be improving your health and local air quality at the same time.

So, this New Year, find an alternative commute that works for you. Visit 511ny.org or nycommute.org to get started.

Climbing on Board a Vanpool is Easy, Convenient and Fun!

Traffic, congestion and stress in the metro New York region are abundant. So where do we turn to reduce this traffic, congestion and stress all while helping the environment? Vanpooling with Easy Street or VPSI! Two companies that provide vanpool services in the New York Downstate Metro Region.

Clean Air NY’s goal is to get single-occupancy vehicles off the road – vanpools make that goal possible by getting commuters who are going to and from the same place out of their own cars so they can travel together. Vanpools save time, money and gas and improve the environment. Plus, they’re a fun way to get to work!

The best way people can hop on the vanpooling bandwagon is by talking to a few co-workers who may live near you. You only need six people who are willing to join the program to be qualified for the minivan. There are no contracts associated with Easy Street or VPSI. If a person decides to leave the vanpool, that person is allowed to stop at anytime. After that, the others in the van have three months to find a person to take that spot at no penalty. The cost for the empty seat will be paid for by your local Transportation Management Association (TMA).

The next step to climbing on board a vanpool is to visit http://www.511ny.org/!

Guest Blog by Fred Wolf, Clean Air NY/LITM summer intern.

Helping Our Loved Ones by Reducing Air Pollution

Air quality in the New York area really hits home for me. I’ve lived here my entire life. I had my first bout with asthma when I was 12 years old. Now I have a son who is 5 years old. He had his first bout with asthma when he was 2. My daughter just turned 2 years old, and I’m really worried about her. As you can see, I’m a concerned parent.

This past summer, I was in Atlanta and heard a fascinating story about the health effects of air quality. In 1996, in preparation for the Summer Olympics, Atlanta planners banned single-occupancy vehicles (cars traveling with just a driver and no passengers) from traveling on the roads around the Olympic village. Only people taking transit, carpooling, biking or walking were allowed into the area. As a result, during the weeks of the Olympic games pediatric asthma-related hospital admissions dropped by more than 40 percent. Fewer cars likely led to healthier children.

If we all make small changes to our daily travel routines, it could make a big difference in our air quality and the air that our loved ones breathe. Instead of driving alone, we encourage you to carpool, ride a bike, take the train or a bus and combine your daily errands. Every little bit helps.

Frank Mongioi is the Clean Air NY Marketing and Outreach Manager.

Make the Most of Your Commute During Time Management Month

Did you know that February is Time Management Month? Did you also know that, on average, New Yorkers spend 312 hours each year commuting to work? With all those hours spent commuting, February is a great time to find ways to better manage your time and to get more done on your commute. Here are a few ways you can ease your commute and accomplish other tasks along the way:

• Take public transportation to work. You can get some work done on the train before arriving at the office. By avoiding traffic, you’ll be less stressed and ready to get your day started.
• Telecommute whenever possible. Working from home can increase productivity by eliminating your commute and your normal office distractions.
• Carpool with co-workers. By riding to work with colleagues, you can “talk shop” in the car and perhaps avoid having another meeting in the office.

• Combine car trips. Get more done after work by running all your errands on the way home.
• Bike or walk to work. You’ll save time by getting your workout in while you commute. You won’t have to go to the gym before or after work.

Intrigued? Why don’t you try one or all of these ideas just a few times this month and see how much time you can save? You’ll feel less stressed and want to continue these great practices throughout the year.

Want to learn more ways to ease your commute? Visit CleanAirNY.org or go to http://www.511ny.org/ to plan your transit or carpool route.

Still Time to Make Green NY’s Resolutions

If you’re anything like me, then by now you may have already broken some of your New Year’s resolutions. That’s OK; it happens to the best of us. Just remind yourself that nearly an entire year still lies ahead of you, so there’s plenty of time to renew your resolutions or think of new ones that are easier to follow. If you do this, it’s the perfect time to combine your traditional resolutions with ways to be a little greener in 2009.

That’s what I’m doing. I first found some helpful tips on various Web sites, including U.S. News and World Report’s “Fresh Greens” blog—Green New Year's Resolutions: Transportation. I then used these tips to put a green spin on my original resolutions. Here are my redefined resolutions, which are hopefully going to make me a better person in 2009 and make New York a cleaner, greener place!

• Lose weight. I will walk and/or bike around town more. Using these modes of transportation will not only burn calories during my commute but also help the environment by taking a car off the road.

• Save money. I will purchase a monthly MetroCard and promise to take the bus or subway whenever possible rather than spending money on a taxi cab.
• Spend more time with family. I will see my family more this year. To get more quality time with my sister (who lives across town), I’ve decided that when we venture across the river to see our parents in the ‘burbs, we should carpool. We can spend time together and improve New York's air quality.

• Use my time wisely. I’ll start planning ahead to get things done more efficiently. This means that when I use a Zipcar, I’ll combine all of my errands into one trip. I can save on car-sharing fees and reduce pollution.

• Meet new people. If all else fails and I can’t ride my bike, walk or take the subway, bus or carpool, I will try to use rideamigos.com. I can share a taxi with fellow New Yorkers and meet new people.

As you can see, my 2009 New Year’s Resolutions will help me and the environment. And, if you need any more incentive to follow through on your resolutions, take a look at this recent article in The Washington Post, which says that cleaner air can lead to a longer life.

So what can you do to spruce up or renew your New Year’s resolutions to make them easier to follow and a bit greener?

Jessica Horne, a Clean Air NY marketing associate, lives and breathes in New York.