Local Video
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| Green transportation for commuters |
By: SAM GETT, Publisher and Editor
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Posted: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 10:06 pm
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Charlie Stark showed up in Bridge Square last Thursday in honor of “Walk or Bike to Work Day,” although he does neither. But for pretty much his entire professional career, Stark has shared rides with others. He currently joins a half-dozen locals in a 10-person van that travels from Northfield to St. Paul each day.
“I tell people my 401(k) is funded mostly from money saved by vanpooling,” Stark said. He’s quick to rattle off the many benefits of reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips. “From an environmental perspective, this is one of the quickest ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. From a transportation perspective, it reduces the pressure on our highway system during rush hour. And from a personal perspective, I save thousands of dollars per year.”
John Thomas, his colleague at Travelers Insurance and fellow vanpooler, goes one step further to quantify those benefits. Thomas notes that after 81 weeks of riding with others to work, he’s kept more than 37,000 miles off his vehicle’s odometer and burned 1,345 fewer gallons of gas. According to the Nuride.com Web site, Thomas’ decision to vanpool 18 months ago reduced carbon dioxide emissions by over 26,000 pounds. “Multiply that by seven to 10 riders and it is huge,” he said.
Stark, Thomas and their fellow riders lease a van from VPSI, paying $90 - $100 month in the process. The monthly fee covers fuel, maintenance, insurance and even parking in the Twin Cities. The commuters take turns driving; Stark parks the van overnight in his driveway since he lives farthest from the center of town. Some riders get picked up at home. Others gather at a convenient, central location, such as the Northfield Ballroom.
Ride sharing offers time advantages, too. For some, the commute home is an opportunity to rest and re-charge, a transition from the stresses of the day to personal or family-centered activities. Thomas uses the extra six hours per week to work on his master’s degree. “You cannot put a monetary cost on some of the other benefits, but let me tell you, pooling has a huge, positive impact on my life,” he said. “I come home refreshed and ready to spend time with my family.”
The group is looking to fill a couple of empty seats. They’ve transported workers from outside the area, and even had someone drive up from Waseca for a while. Stark is certain there are other Northfield residents driving each day to St. Paul. “We see a lot of the same cars every day,” he said. He noted that Northfield sees its share of reverse commuters, too. Stark said a vanpool of Carleton College employees commutes from Minneapolis each day.
Commuters to the Twin Cities can check out ride share opportunities by visiting metrotransit.org, creating an account and searching for trip matches. Anyone interested in joining the Northfield vanpool to St. Paul should call Stark at 507-645-9269. He’s enjoyed the personal and economic benefits of riding to work with others for years and is hoping the rest of society joins in.
“The money just needs to shift from cars and roads to more important areas such as renewable energy or the arts,” Stark said.
—Reach Sam Gett at sgett@northfieldnews.com or 645-1112. |
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