Embrace public transit and alternative methods of commuting to reduce emissions

For most Americans, driving a gas-powered vehicle is the single most carbon-intensive activity they regularly engage in everyday. Reducing the amount that you use a gas-powered vehicle, even if it’s just cutting out a single trip a week, can make a serious difference in your carbon footprint.

There are many ways that you can reduce your reliance upon a car. Here are some of the top ideas:

• Combine proximate trips or carpool: Try to consolidate your usage of a car to cover multiple trips in one. Even better, consider doing this across people and carpooling to work, school, etc.
• Work from home: If your job allows it, working from home can eliminate your commute altogether!
• Minimize air travel: Despite its convenience, travel by plane is a major contributor to global emissions. What’s more, while you can choose to travel via an electric vehicle on land, there is not yet a viable electric passenger plane available at scale. This means that reducing your air travel as much as possible is paramount for tackling your carbon footprint effectively.
• Leverage public transit: Bloomington Transit (BT) is the official public transit provider in Bloomington and services an extensive network of buses and shuttles to help you get to where you need to go. What’s more, BT is actively decarbonizing their fleet by switching to battery-electric buses which are significantly more environmentally friendly.
• Get active: “Active transportation” is the term for travel by walking, biking, skateboard, rollerblading, or even unicycling! This mode of transportation is a great way to get some exercise while simultaneously reducing your carbon footprint.

If you like cycling, you may consider purchasing an “e-bike.” The City of Bloomington is currently hosting an E-Bike Voucher Program which provides vouchers of up to $1,000 to assist residents with purchasing an e-bike that they can use in their daily commute and for other travel needs.