Press Release: October is Rideshare Month

Courtesy of Metro Light Rail

Phoenix, AZ (Sept. 24, 2012) Valley Metro wants to know if you are up to the challenge of sharing your ride at least once a week in the month of October. Employers, local residents and anyone that makes a regular drive to work or school is asked to consider alternative travel options next month.

“Sharing a ride is beneficial on so many levels,” said Dawn M. Coomer, Valley Metro Business Services Manager. “You can add minutes or hours to your day and arrive at your destination less stressed.” Considering vehicle fuel and maintenance costs, limiting the drive alone trip just one day a week can help save up to $70 a month.

According to regional air quality experts, 49 miles of vehicle travel creates one pound of pollution. With an average Valley daily commute of 32 miles, using alternative modes can reduce ground-level ozone and the additional churn of particulate matter or dust particles from vehicle use.

Western Refining employee, Mary Korba, says that joining a Valley Metro vanpool has been an exceptionally positive experience. “Not only am I saving money and time, I have developed lifelong friendships,” says Korba. “In fact, I met my husband while riding in a Valley Metro van. I guess you could say that spending quality time together twice each day has really paid off.”

Rideshare Month is an annual county-wide event that encourages the use of alternative commute options, public transit, carpools, vanpools or bicycling to help reduce emissions from vehicle use, decrease congestion and conserve energy.  Here are the ways local residents and employers can participate in Rideshare Month:

Commute Tracker contest: A perfect reason to try a new way to travel! Login or create an account at SharetheRide.com. Log daily commute activities and receive points to be entered into a contest for the chance to win prizes.

Employer Challenge: The competition warms up as the Valley’s weather cools down! Local organizations compete against each other in a Valley-wide challenge October 7-13 by getting their employees to leave their cars at home at least once a week.
More information is available by logging on to www.ValleyMetro.org.

Anyone in the Valley seeking a carpool partner, seat in a commuter vanpool, bike buddy or other travel option can go to www.ShareTheRide.com. Public transit schedules and fares, park-and-ride locations and trip planning tools, including Google Transit, are available at www.ValleyMetro.org. Customers can also call 602.262.RIDE for additional information on options to driving alone.

The Clean Air Campaign is sponsored by the Arizona Departments of Environmental Quality and Transportation, Maricopa Association of Governments, Maricopa County Air Quality Department, and Valley Metro.

About Valley Metro: Valley Metro provides eco-friendly public transit options to residents of greater Phoenix and Maricopa County, including a clean-fuel bus fleet, low-emissions light rail, commuter vanpools, online carpool matching, bus trip mapping, bicycle safety and telework assistance. Funding is provided by local and federal revenues. A board of 16 governments sets the policy direction for the agency and works to improve and regionalize the public transit system. Get the latest news by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Need More Information?

Contact Valley Metro Customer Service at
csr@valleymetro.org

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *