6 Tips to Green the Daily Commute

 This summer, all across the country, commuters are being challenged to “green” their commutes through alternatives to the standard one-person/one-car driving that so many Americans do every day. Some professionals have responded by reducing or ditching their commutes altogether in favor of telecommuting and flexible schedules because this way of working has such a positive impact on the environment. For those who still need to commute to their jobs, here are some six great ways that professionals can be green commuters.

Trade many vehicles for one. Van-pool, car-pool, ride the bus, or take the train.

Trade motorized vehicles for man-powered ones. Dust off that old bike and get some exercise while commuting to work.

Skip vehicles altogether. If living within walking distance to the office, why not walk to work? Or, if that’s out of the question, consider walking other places that would normally require driving - to run errands, grab lunch, etc. Substitute walking for driving where it’s possible.

Skip the commute altogether. Telecommute! Give up a long, tedious, polluting commute for a one minute trip to a home office. Even if it’s only possible to do this one day each week in a standard five-day work-week, professionals will reduce their environmental impact by 20 percent.

Work a “compressed workweek.” Try working a full-time schedule, but in four days instead of five. Many colleges offer these work schedules to employees during the summer months so that they can commute one less day each week, and businesses have one fewer day of office-related expenses each week. It’s a win-win!

Opt for flextime. Try adjusting work hours to be before or after peak commute times (For example, 7am to 3pm or 11am to 7pm). This will cut down on the amount of time spent sitting in traffic and save both drivers’ sanity AND the environment.

According to Kansas City’s Green Commute Challenge, one of the biggest benefits of greening our commutes is saving money. They say, “Driving less equals saving money. According to AAA, it costs commuters $58 per 100 miles to drive to work in vehicle expenses.” In order to track the true cost of a commute, Seattle’s Commuter Challenge has a handy commute cost calculator which calculates the monthly and yearly costs of individual commutes, taking into account gas prices, vehicle maintenance, mileage, parking costs, etc.

Aside from the money that can be saved, there is another big reason to go green when commuting: the environmental impact. Says the Seattle Commuter Challenge, “Leave your car at home twice a week during the two-month-long challenge and you’ll prevent about 272 pounds of harmful ozone-forming and greenhouse gas emissions (for a 20-mile round-trip commute).”

Commuting is a necessity for many professionals, but it’s possible for most to rework the typical commute to be less harmful to the wallet and the environment. 

 

Brie Weiler Reynolds is a freelance writer and the Manager of Content and Community Outreach at FlexJobs, the leading site for telecommuting and flexible job listings, where she blogs and manages social media. A college career advisor by trade, Brie writes about job search and career advice, workplace trends, personal finance, and lifestyle. She finds joy in discovering and creating useful information and resources which help others to bring order and purpose to their lives, and she is passionate about work-life balance and environmental sustainability. A native of upstate New York, Brie has lived in Boston, New Jersey, and Atlanta over the past ten years, and enjoys traveling at home and abroad.

Edited by Stefania Viscusi