by Carly Foubert, CFICE Communications RA
Travelling and driving can be stressful, especially in bad weather conditions with ice and snow covering the roads. But even in the winter you still have to get to work/school; it can’t be a snow day everyday. According to the 2010 Canadian Census, Canadian workers take an average of 26 minutes to get to work. That’s almost an hour of driving a day.
©OC Transpo
Whether it’s winter or any other season, having a carpool is a fantastic way to improve your daily commute. You’ll have company for the drives, access to carpool lanes, save money on gas and parking, have useable travel time when it’s not your turn to drive (no texting and driving please), and most importantly you’ll reduce your carbon footprint.
Public transportation, whether you take the bus or train, is another carefree method of transportation. You can just sit back, relax, or even take a nap during your commute since you don’t have to focus or stay awake to drive. Public transportation reduces road congestion and carbon emissions by decreasing the number of cars and exhaust fumes. Its also more cost and time efficient. In 2011, US public transportation use saved 866 million hours in travel time and 450 million gallons of fuel.
©CPF
Take a look at this comparative image by Cycling-Promotion Fund, an Australian advocacy group for bicycling. It shows the difference of road usage by cars, bikes, and a bus to demonstrate the efficiency and environmental impact. It’s the same number of people in each scene, just a different method of travel. Look how much of a difference it makes!
Today’s daily challenge is to take an alternative mode of transportation than to driving by yourself.