With Green Your Commute, how you get to campus matters

Editor's note: Due to the inclement weather forecast for Sept. 26, Green Your Commute Day will take place on Sept. 28.

Each day, thousands of UB faculty, staff and students commute to campus by riding alone in a gasoline-powered vehicle.

UB Parking and Transportation Services and UB Sustainability are hoping to change that on Sept. 26 with Green Your Commute, an event aimed at encouraging the university community to find alternative — and more environmentally friendly — modes of transportation.

That could be anything from carpooling with a group of co-workers, to riding your bicycle, or taking the bus from the ‘burbs or the subway from the city. The purpose of Green Your Commute is to make people aware that there are other ways to get to campus, with minimal effort, says Matthew Reitmeier, outreach and operations manager for Parking and Transportation Services.

“We hope that Green Your Commute encourages people to try methods of transportation that don’t involve riding alone in a gas-powered vehicle,” Reitmeier says. “If you live in the suburbs, try riding your bike or carpooling. If you’re in the city, take the MetroRail,” he adds. “For students, we hope these are options they consider after they leave UB.”

UB faculty, staff and students who participate in Green Your Commute are being encouraged to take a selfie during their green commute and post it to social media using #GYCD18. UB community members who register to participate can also attend a celebratory reception later in the day — one will be held on each campus, including Downtown — to enjoy light refreshments and, of course, talk about how they got to campus.

The rain date for Green Your Commute is Sept. 28.

Here’s how you can green your commute — not only on Sept. 26, but any other day of the year:

• Ride your bicycle: Take inspiration from some of UB’s ‘road warriors,’ the dedicated folks who ride to campus on two wheels. UB makes it easy by offering plenty of places to lock up your bike, or do some routine repairs if necessary. For an easy way to get around on or between campuses, take a ride on one of the snazzy new UB Bikeshare bicycles available as part of a partnership between Parking and Transportation Services and Reddy BikeShare.
• Carpool: Commiserate with co-workers who live in the same neighborhood over the unfortunate state of the Buffalo Bills by hopping into one person’s vehicle and driving to campus. (On the plus side, you can also discuss how good the Bulls are.) You can also visit 511NY to find others who are heading in the same direction as you are.
• Public transportation: Sit back and relax and let somebody else do the driving by riding the bus or MetroRail. Visit the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority website for schedules and a trip planner.
• Drive an electric vehicle: EVs are becoming more affordable, thanks to state and federal rebate programs, and newer models are made to last longer between charges. More info on electric vehicles is available from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. Charging stations are available on both North and South campuses, as well as the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus downtown.

Any of the above modes of alternative transportation will help you cut down on your carbon footprint. To find out just how much your gas-powered commute costs in emissions, plug your information into Parking and Transportation Services’ handy emissions calculator.