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Every Monday Matters:Traffic is overrated By Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)
Only 10.2 percent of workers rideshare.
52.5 cents per mile is the average cost to drive a car due to fuel, maintenance, tires, depreciation, and insurance.
$2,520 can be saved annually by each person in a 2-person, 40-mile roundtrip rideshare.
12,000 gallons of gasoline would be saved each year for every 100 people who paired up into a daily rideshare.
18 pounds of CO2 is produced by burning 1 gallon of gasoline.
A 10 percent nationwide increase in transit ridership would save 135 million gallons of gasoline a year.
34 percent of roads are in poor or mediocre condition due to heavy usage and lack of proper repairs. Save your car, the roads, and your tax dollars.
TAKE ACTION TODAY
1. Find a rideshare partner. Ask a co-worker, fellow student, or friend.
2. Check with your company or school to see if there is an organized rideshare program.
3. Follow these guidelines:
4. Do something meaningful with the $2,520 you save.
Ridesharing reduces gasoline usage, vehicle wear, traffic, stress, pollution and dependency on foreign oil. With every 100 people who pair up daily and rideshare for a year, we keep 1,848 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,320 pounds of carbon monoxide, 792 pounds of nitrogen oxides, and 2,376,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. You might even make a friend or two.
YOU MATTER
"I never thought I would enjoy sharing a ride to work, but I am now officially a 'ridesharer'," proudly admitted Kelly Barilek of Oklahoma City, Okla. "It has completely changed my commuting experience."
Although the percentage of people who rideshare to work is a dismal 10 percent of the total work force, at some point in time, nearly 100 percent of them shared the same sentiments as Kelly. They were 100 percent against, now they are 100 percent for it.
"Looking back, I think I was a bit nervous about it because even though these were co-workers of mine, they were still pretty much strangers. I made it a point to kind of get to know them at work before I committed to doing a rideshare program with them," shared Kelly. "But once we all got to know each other better, it calmed the nerves for all of us."
Kelly's company, like many others, offered an incentive for employees who joined a rideshare program. It was part of their corporate social responsibility program. They sent emails and posted signs in common areas to see if they could get 20 percent of their work force to commute to work together.
The misperceptions of ridesharing are numerous - "I don't want to lose my freedom," "I find it scary," or "What difference does my one car make?" But, often these are not accurate and the benefits easily outweigh the misperceptions.
"I could go on for hours about all of the things I enjoy about ridesharing," said Kelly. "I have saved so much money in gas and wear and tear on my car, I feel more relaxed when I get to work and arrive back at home in the evening, and, best of all, I have made some amazing friends."
Kelly and one of her rideshare partners have literally become "best friends." According to her, the two of them have joined a gym together and now work out during lunch, they spent time together with their families on the weekends, and they look forward to their time in the car together to just talk and share life.
"It's better than coffee," said Kelly. Now I get to spend 30 minutes with my best friend every morning. What a great way to start your day."
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© 2009, The Modesto Bee Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
