Travelers are encouraged to car pool and take public transportation June 21st for the American Public Transportation Association’s national “Dump the Pump Day.”
APTA says the day is meant to increase the use and awareness of alternate ways of getting around to ease reliance on automobiles and save money.
“At a time when our economy is still hurting and gas prices are continuing to skyrocket, people need to save money,” APTA said. “This is a time to increase public transportation service, not decrease it.”
According to APTA, public transportation saves the U.S. 4.2 million gallons of gasoline each year and two-person households who downsize to one car instead of two save more than $10,000 each year.
A service from the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority called Commuter Connect is designed to help commuters find alternative ways to get to work including carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus, biking or walking.
Since 2004 the program has worked with employers to provide better commuting options for its workers CIRTA said in a press release.
CIRTA upheld OneAmerica Financial Partners as one of central Indiana’s most commuter-friendly companies.
OneAmerica supports several commuter options including partially subsidized passes for IndyGo and Indy Express Bus, flex scheduling, providing bike racks and help in finding employees who want to carpool.
“We’re always striving to attract and retain the best talent in our industry and in the Indianapolis area,” said Dayton Molendorp OneAmerica chair and chief executive. “We know that more and more of today’s professionals value having options for how they get to and from work.”
Commuter Connect has a database of about 6,000 central Indiana commuters, thousands of which have already found ways to get to work instead of driving alone in a car but more than 3,000 are still looking for a match.
According to APTA, programs like Commuter Connect and responsible for saving 37 million tons of carbon emissions from reaching the atmosphere every year.
In addition to helping employees find cheap, eco-friendly ways of getting around, Commuter Connect wants to put more focus on helping employers provide the best services to their employees and understand how commuting affects their workforce.
APTA public transit facts –
-Households who live near public transit drive an estimated 4,400 fewer miles a year than those who don’t. Americans took more than 10 billion trips on public transit in 2011.
-More than 7,000 American businesses provide transportation for workers.
-For more information about Commuter Connect click here.
