Clean Energy > Alternative Transportation
Alternative Transportation
Alternatives to the single-passenger commute available in our community – like buses, trains, and ride shares – and greener transportation options like telecommuting, biking, and walking will reduce vehicle miles traveled while improving health and creating more vibrant communities. By designing a new approach to travel, we can more permanently address the hard-to-reach greenhouse gas emissions of the transportation sector and reach our climate goals sooner.
How you can take action
Get Educated
Visit the Clean Energy Resources page to learn more about public transportation and subscribe to our email list to stay updated on the latest news, events, and opportunities to engage.
Walk
Not every city is walkable, but many are. If you have the option, put on your walking shoes, get your steps in, and discover your community. If you have a smart phone, download a navigation app that will help you find the fastest pedestrian route.
Telecommute
If you have the option, consider working from home. Whether it’s full-time, once a week, or a few times per month, telecommuting means large benefits for pollution and traffic. if you’re an employer or a manager, consider implementing a policy for your staff to have the option to telecommute based on what works best for your company.
Bike or Bike Share
Increasing your number of bike commute trips is one of the most effective and immediate ways to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. If you commute more than a few miles, consider an electric bike that makes it easier than ever to bike to work, the grocery store, or anywhere you need to go. Even if you do not have the means to purchase a new bike, there is likely a bike share program available (or soon-to-be) in a city near you.
Share a Ride
Ride sharing offers a great way to save money on gas, share or avoid driving, and forgo the hassle of finding parking. Carpool with friends, family, and co-workers when possible, consider downloading a ride share app on your smart phone so the option is always at your fingertips, and utilize online forums to look for or post carpool opportunities.
Take Public Transport
Whether you need to travel across town, get a lift to a neighboring city, or journey cross-country, most residents in most cities have access to local and regional bus and train transportation options. Opting for public transport will save you money on gas and can be convenient if you don’t have an option for parking your car at the end of the line. Check your city’s public transportation website for options local to you.
Fly Less
By far one of the most climate-impactful activities that most Americans engage in is air travel, with an international trip releasing as much carbon as months of driving. Evaluate whether every work-related trip is necessary and consider replacing some of these trips with video chats. When thinking about leisure travel, consider limiting jet setting to once per year instead of twice per year – or replacing one air travel trip with a road trip. One of the single most impactful climate actions each of us could take would be to cut our airline travel in half, permanently.
What CEC Is Doing
CREATING BICYCLE MASTER PLANS
We work with cities and counties to develop and strengthen their bicycle master plans. Increasing the number of bike commute trips is one of the most effective and immediate ways to reduce local greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. These plans establish specific goals, like increasing the number of bike commute trips made, create framework for making data-driven safety improvements to bicycle networks, and open the door to significant sources of funding for bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly street improvements.
Alternative transportation Infrastructure
The plans our cities and counties make affect our daily lives, and it’s important that we are not only thinking about building infrastructure for electric vehicles, but also encouraging greener transportation options like telecommuting, biking, buses, and walking.
