The price of Gasoline is rising faster than
a runaway kite. What you can do to save a
little money..
How to Green Your Commute (ARA) - Do you often sit in rush hour traffic,
engine idling, going
nowhere fast? Is
your commute taking
longer than it used to
because of all the
other cars on the road?
America's urban commuters
now waste an entire
workweek each year
-- some 38 hours -- stuck
in traffic, according
to a traffic study
released late last
year by Texas A&M
University’s Texas
Traffic Institute.
Not only is that
wasted time you could
have
spent doing something
constructive, it’s
a major problem for
the health of our
planet.
Idling car engines
are a significant
contributor
to the greenhouse
emissions leading
to global
warming which has
become, in the last
15
years or so, a major
issue of international
proportions. But
there are steps commuters
can -- and should
take -- to reduce
their
impact on the environment.
* Use mass transit.
If you live in an
area where bus or
train
service is available,
use it as often as
possible. The more
cars removed from
the
roads, the better.
* Make your route
more direct.
If you will be commuting
by car, take steps
to make sure your
route will be more
direct.
Before you head to
someplace new, take
out
a map, or utilize
the Internet to plan
the
most direct route.
If you have a newer
vehicle, you should
use
your in-dash navigation
aid. According to
statistics kept by
NAVTEQ, a leading
global
provider of digital
maps for vehicle
navigation
(and location-based
solutions), since
1999
nearly 18 million
U.S. and Canadian
vehicles
have been equipped
with either in-dash
or
portable electronic
navigation systems.
Not
only do they offer
the benefit of a
hands-free
map, there’s also
the time-savings,
as you’ll
be far less likely
to get lost while
trying
to reach your destination.
By driving a more
direct route, you
may use less gas.
“But it’s important
to keep in mind the
starter
maps that come with
these systems gradually
become outdated.
Commuters should
get into
the habit of updating
them every year or
two,” advises Cliff
Fox of NAVTEQ. His
company
offers map updates
that will further
enhance
the experience drivers
have with their navigation
system’s map. The
updates include new
roads,
gas stations, restaurants,
hotels, ATMs and
more. Log on to www.NAVTEQ.com
to see if
maps are offered
in your city.
* Avoid sitting in
traffic.
Some newer models
of navigation systems
have
real-time traffic,
which provides the
latest
and most comprehensive
traffic information
available.
Before you head out,
use a resource like
Traffic.com to get
the most up-to-date
traffic
information along
your planned route.
If
you find the way
you usually take
is congested,
plan another route.
If you don’t have
access
to a computer before
leaving on your trip,
you can access the
Traffic.com mobile
Web
site from your Web-equipped
cell phone at
http://mobi.traffic.com,
or by calling the
(866) MY-TRAFC (866-698-7232)
traffic hotline.
* Make the trip worth
it.
As long as you’re
out and about anyway,
complete
multiple tasks, such
as visiting the bank,
shopping for groceries
and dropping off
the
dry cleaning, all
on the same trip.
* Weather permitting,
make a pledge to
ride
your bike on short
trips. On average,
a third
of trips are a mile
or less.
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