Thank you to everyone who participated in Car Free Day 2015! Interested to know how your pledge made an impact this year? Check out some of the statistics we gathered:
What is Car Free Day?
Car Free Day is an international event that occurs September 22 every year. On this day, individuals around the world are encouraged to reconsider their transportation methods and commit to eliminating or limiting their car use. But Car Free Day isn't just about a temporary hiatus from cars. Car Free Day can also serve as a jump-start to limiting or eliminating your car use every day. Here are just a few facts and figures to get you thinking about what going car free could mean for yourself, for Lehigh and for the local area:
• 434 Lehigh employees live within approximately 2 miles of campus, which is a great distance for walking or running to work. 879 employees live between approximately 2-10 miles of campus, which is a great distance for biking to work (Lehigh University)
• The average car releases 300 pounds of carbon dioxide for every 15 gallons of gasoline (Car Free Network)
• Drivers spend an average of $9,641 every year on car-related expenses
How to go car free every day:
If you’re interested in going car free more frequently or every day, there are plenty of resources available to help you reach your goals!
One of these resources is a brand new bike-sharing program called Zagster, sponsored by Lehigh Parking and Transportation!
Zagster bikes, which are available for rent in the Farrington Square garage level 2, allow you to take rides for up to 4 hours! Memberships are $15 a year and include unlimited rides. Visit www.zagster.com/lehigh for more information.
Or, if you're more interested in limiting your car use, check out Lehigh's Zimride. Zimride allows you to share seats in your car or connect with others interested in carpooling and limiting their car use! You must have a valid Lehigh username and password to sign-in and use the service.
Keep a look out for Car Free Day 2016, and spread the word about the impacts of going car free!