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It’s that time of year once again where everyone in Columbus is encouraged to ditch the car for 24 hours and utilize alternative transportation options to get around town. Car Free Day takes place tomorrow, September 21st and encourages residents to consider the environmental and financial benefits that come with other modes of transportation.
So what exactly does going car-free mean? Do you need to buy a bike to ride it for just one day? Or go out of your way to ride the bus if you don’t live near a bus route?
We spoke with Evelyn Ebert, Air Quality Coordinator at MORPC to find out what options exist for participating in tomorrow’ event. Here’s the five ways she suggests that you can go car free:
1. Ride COTA.
Let’s say your car gets 25 miles to the gallon and you drive alone 5 days a week for your 10 mile round trip commute. You’re spending around $122 per month on your commute, and that excludes the cost of a monthly parking pass. Buy a monthly COTA pass instead for $62 and become refreshingly unacquainted with your neighborhood gas station. Computer your commute HERE.
2. Telecommute.
It isn’t an option for all vocations, but Car Free Day is a great day to try working from home. Reduce traffic congestion, improve local air quality, and stay in your jammies all day if that’s your thing.
3. Ride a bike.
Never have to sit idling in gridlocked traffic to get to the gym again. What better season to try bicycling than crisp, golden autumn in central Ohio. Improved heart health is a convenient perk to the whole bicycling gig as well. Brush up on your bicycle safety HERE.
4. Walk.
Try walking for any trips fewer than 2 miles. It might be the only time you get to yourself all day!
5. Carpool.
It’s the social and economical solution for those who might not live or work on a bus line or in a walkable area. MORPC’s RideSolutions program helps commuters find carpools. Learn more HERE . When central Ohioans carpool, we all get to breathe cleaner air.
More information can be found online at www.carfreedaycolumbus.org.
I thought World Car Free Day was on the 22nd?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car-Free_Days
http://www.worldcarfree.net/wcfd/
It is. We’re a day ahead of the curve. ;)
World Car Free Day is September 22 but Central Ohio Car Free Day is September 21 this year. We like promote mode-shift as an option for weekday travel!
I wish more companies would allow telecommuting. It’s such a money-saver for employees (wardrobe, gas or bus fare) as well as for employers (less office space and equipment to maintain). Productivity may actually improve because the work is always there. I find myself working nights and weekends because I can.
Sorry to go far off on that second option, but I LOVE working from home.
I’ll be car free all weekend…in Chicago. But seriously, telecommuting saves a lot of money, and carpooling is something we could all be better at. Biking isn’t really an option for me, because if you try to bike around Hayden Run area, you might die. Columbus could care less about sidewalks or bike lanes in MOST areas, but it’s happening slowly in the more dense areas. Have we ever had the discussion of HOV lanes in Columbus? Traffic isn’t too bad, but during rush hour it sure is. HOV lanes are sweet, and they should implement them in Columbus.
Celebrate tomorrow and ride to the OSU game. Pedal Instead is back on the levy parking bikes and handing out Chipotle BOGOs for riders who park with us.
^ I usually walk, but I may bike just for the BOGO.