Alternative Transportation
There are many reasons to use alternative transportation. If you don’t have a car, you have many wonderful options for getting around, including riding the bus, taking a carpool/vanpool, walking and bicycling. However, everybody can benefit from using these alternative forms of transportation. Here are some of the reasons why you might consider it:
You can save money$$$
AAA calculates the average cost of driving annually to be 52.2 cents per mile, or $7,830 a year, based upon driving 15,000 miles per year. This would include the cost of gas, wear and tear on your auto, insurance, and vehicle maintenance. Use the following link to calculate your personal costs of driving.
Follow this link to Calculate Your Commute Costs
Read about the True Costs of Driving,
Help the environment!!!
Auto pollution contributes to many environmental problems which are of major concern, including acid rain, ozone layer depletion, photochemical smog, and the greenhouse effect. Even if you drive a short distance, the greatest amount of pollutants are emitted during the first 20 minutes of driving. Using alternative transportation just one day a week can contribute to a large decrease in auto emission.
More info: www.nsc.org/ehc/mobile/mse_fs.htm
Save yourself some time!!!
Did you know that Americans typically spend more than 100 hours commuting to work each year? If you are carpooling, vanpooling, or riding the bus you can often use High Occupancy Vechicle (HOV) lanes to bypass slowed traffic. You can also bypass traffic by walking or riding your bicycle in a congested metropolitan area.
Save yourself some stress!!!
Driving in traffic on a daily basis can contribute a great deal to your overall stress level. Stress you feel during your commute can leave you feeling fatigued, can create physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach aches, and can affect your overall mood for the entire day. So why not let somebody else do the driving for you??? You can use this time to get some work done, do some pleasure reading, pay bills, or simply relax and clear your mind.
Improve your health and well being
Obviously stress can be a major contributor to health problems, so simply alleviating some of that stress can contribute to better health. But if you add walking or bicycling to the equation, you can really improve your health by living a more active lifestyle! For more information on these topics, click into The George Mason University transportation website at transportation.gmu.edu/benefits.html.
Links to other Transportation Agencies and Services