Casual Carpooling Helps Too –

Mention carpooling and most people think of a weekly commitment - a full five days.  However, Smart Commute 404-7, a joint initiative of the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce and the Markham Board of Trade, reminds visitors to its Carpool Zone website, that ride-matches can work for just one or two days a week, or even once or twice a month.

Does it still make a difference?  The answer is “yes!” 

Individually, costs can still be lowered, life experiences can still be shared, the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on our major highways can be a pleasant change from other slower-moving traffic lanes and, it is good to remember, generating even just a little less smog is better than making no effort at all to lower our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

But collectively, there’s an even bigger difference.   If driving alone to work, 5 days a week, represents 100% and we (single occupant vehicle, or SOV drivers) all deduct one day ... we’ve just cut 20% of our greenhouse gas emissions.  That’s a big difference! 

If everyone on our highways carpools just once a week, the air we breathe will be 20% cleaner.  There will also be 20% less traffic on our highways!  (Pardon the exclamation mark, but that’s … big!) 

So give it a try!

Visit www.smartcommute404-7.ca and choose the Carpool Zone hyperlink.  You will be directed to the Smart Commute 404-7 Carpool Zone webpage and find many of our large (and smaller) companies are already listed there, helping their employees find ride-matches, helping themselves to clear space in their parking lots, and helping our air become a little (and sometimes a lot) cleaner. 

When everyone does a little … a little can mean a lot … !!

 Smart Commute 404-7, an award-winning non-profit association, helps employers and employees in Richmond Hill with Smart Commute options.

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