2008 Woodie Awards
Web sites promote carpooling, alternative transportation to cut down on emissions
Bailey McBride
Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: News
Residents across Northwest Arkansas are being encouraged to look into alternative means of transportation, such as public transportation and carpooling, to reduce their carbon emissions.
Web sites like NWAcommute.com, a site launched recently by a husband and wife team, hope to "help Northwest Arkansas commuters find one another - both to save money on gas and help our environment."
The founders' goal "is to remove at least 1,000 cars from the road by 2009," as that will decrease the NWA carbon footprint by 3.8 million pounds.
The site contains many different ways for visitors to help reduce their carbon emission, including discussion boards where visitors can compare routes and coordinate carpools.
After just one week online, the site had more than 70 members. The site currently has 125 members and is growing week by week.
If NWA residents cannot go without a car on a daily basis because of work commitments but still want to make a difference, they can offer space in their cars in exchange for gas money. This can be negotiated through private messages on the site.
If people want a broader range of travel and outing options, The university Transit and Parking Department endorses GoLoco.org as a carpooling and ride-sharing option.
The site, which breaks down possible ride-sharing groups into categories such as co-workers, school pools and group events, allows similar groups form similar geographic regions to get connected with one another.
Like NWAcommute, GoLoco hopes to help visitors dramatically reduce their carbon footprints. The site uses a system of alerts to notify members whenever their friends or interest groups are going places they might want to go.
There is a link to GoLoco.org from NWAcommute.com, along with multiple other ride-sharing sites.
Finally, UA students have the luxury of free or cheap transit around the Fayetteville area through Razorback Transit, Safe Ride and Ozark Transit. In August alone, Razorback Transit reported more than 73,000 riders using bus services around Fayetteville. From July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, Razorback Transit counted more than 1,200,000 rides given.
Ozark Transit, which costs $1 for student riders, has a broader range of stops and goes into surrounding cities such as Lowell, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville. Two routes, Route 40 and Route 41, make stops on campus.
Students needing a ride after Razorback Transit stops operating have the option of taking Safe Ride, which operates on a fixed course across campus until 12:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday and until 3 a.m. Wednesday though Sunday.
Safe Ride provides a means of transportation to students seeking to escape possible dangerous situations, such as drinking too much or being on an uncomfortable date.
Safe Ride can be reached at 575-SAFE.
Web sites like NWAcommute.com, a site launched recently by a husband and wife team, hope to "help Northwest Arkansas commuters find one another - both to save money on gas and help our environment."
The founders' goal "is to remove at least 1,000 cars from the road by 2009," as that will decrease the NWA carbon footprint by 3.8 million pounds.
The site contains many different ways for visitors to help reduce their carbon emission, including discussion boards where visitors can compare routes and coordinate carpools.
After just one week online, the site had more than 70 members. The site currently has 125 members and is growing week by week.
If NWA residents cannot go without a car on a daily basis because of work commitments but still want to make a difference, they can offer space in their cars in exchange for gas money. This can be negotiated through private messages on the site.
If people want a broader range of travel and outing options, The university Transit and Parking Department endorses GoLoco.org as a carpooling and ride-sharing option.
The site, which breaks down possible ride-sharing groups into categories such as co-workers, school pools and group events, allows similar groups form similar geographic regions to get connected with one another.
Like NWAcommute, GoLoco hopes to help visitors dramatically reduce their carbon footprints. The site uses a system of alerts to notify members whenever their friends or interest groups are going places they might want to go.
There is a link to GoLoco.org from NWAcommute.com, along with multiple other ride-sharing sites.
Finally, UA students have the luxury of free or cheap transit around the Fayetteville area through Razorback Transit, Safe Ride and Ozark Transit. In August alone, Razorback Transit reported more than 73,000 riders using bus services around Fayetteville. From July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008, Razorback Transit counted more than 1,200,000 rides given.
Ozark Transit, which costs $1 for student riders, has a broader range of stops and goes into surrounding cities such as Lowell, Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville. Two routes, Route 40 and Route 41, make stops on campus.
Students needing a ride after Razorback Transit stops operating have the option of taking Safe Ride, which operates on a fixed course across campus until 12:30 a.m. Monday and Tuesday and until 3 a.m. Wednesday though Sunday.
Safe Ride provides a means of transportation to students seeking to escape possible dangerous situations, such as drinking too much or being on an uncomfortable date.
Safe Ride can be reached at 575-SAFE.
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