Carpool campaign aims for fewer one-person cars

By ELLEN GOLDBAUM
News Services Editor

SOVs-or single-occupancy vehicles-are the transportation mode of choice for UB students, faculty and staff. The campaign to change the status quo is being sponsored by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority and the UB Environmental Task Force.

"Every year, students complain that there isn't enough parking on-campus," said Lynda Schneekloth, professor of architecture and planning at UB and chair of the ETF campus planning subcommittee. She noted that new parking lots actually encourage even more people to drive, adding to congestion and calls for more parking lots.

"It's a vicious cycle," Schneekloth said, "and the only way to stop it is by making available alternative modes of transportation, such as carpooling and improved public transportation."

UB Rideshare uses geographic-information software to match commuters with similar destinations and daily routines.

NFTA is developing UB Rideshare as a model for similar programs in Western New York. Other candidates for carpooling in Western New York include office and industrial parks in the suburbs, some of which have already contacted NFTA to discuss transportation options.

"During the next 12 months, the NFTA will be advancing a major transit restructuring concept called Hublink," said Karen Rae, deputy general manager of Metro at the NFTA.

"Meeting significant shifts in travel demand involves looking at traditional (bus and rail) and nontraditional mobility options for the community," she explained. "We are pleased to be working hand-in-hand with UB to develop one such pilot-the UB Rideshare program." NFTA is targeting SOVs as part of a strategy to reduce the demand for new highway construction.

"The largest volume of traffic is the workday commute," explained Dan Gajewski, NFTA transit product manager, "and all highway building is based on it. With fewer cars on the road, fewer new highways will need to be built and air quality will improve." And with fewer SOVs driving onto campus, the air will be cleaner, congestion on campus roadways will be reduced and convenient parking spaces will be easier to come by.

But, noted Gary Day, professor of architecture and planning at UB and an ETF member, carpooling has an even stronger incentive for students living on typical shoestring budgets: it's a money-saver. According to the American Automobile Association, driving a 12-mile, one-way commute every weekday costs $156/month for gas, tolls, maintenance and wear and tear. Auto insurance and car payments hike the estimated cost even higher.

Day noted that the carpooling program and other transportation alternatives to SOVs could save the university money, too. He cited a Cornell University study that a university's cost for maintaining a single parking space -lighting, resurfacing, snow removal, etc.-ranged from $200-$500 per year.

Support for UB Rideshare totals $110,000, which comes primarily from the Federal Transit Administration, with contributions from the NFTA and the State of New York.

Funds are being used to purchase dedicated software and hardware and to pay for training, advertising and staff time.

Information and applications for UB Rideshare will be available for students, faculty and staff at a table in the Student Union today and tomorrow, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. They also are available at http://wings.buffalo.edu/news/newsbureau/rideshare or by calling 645-6066.