Carpooling is paying off in a new way for UBC employee Jessica Beck, who is the winner of a $100 fuel card for her participation in this year’s Carpool Week, Oct. 24 to 28.
Carpool Week is intended to increase commuter awareness of carpooling as a viable transportation option. UBC’s Okanagan campus partners with carpool.ca to help encourage and connect members of the campus community to reduce the empty seats in their vehicles as they travel to and from the university.
“It’s important to note that carpooling doesn’t require a large commitment,” says Anne Marie Thornton, manager of Carpool.ca. “Our desire to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions tends to be secondary to our need for convenience, so consider carpooling once or twice a week to start.”
Through carpool.ca, commuters are able to identify potential carpool partners and form carpools. The user-friendly system is secure and free. More than 230 carpoolers are currently registered at UBC’s Okanagan campus.
“Participants throughout the Okanagan helped to reduce over 30,000 vehicle kilometers throughout the campaign by carpooling — all while saving money, meeting new friends and seeing their commute from the passenger’s seat,” notes Mike Kittmer, the City of Kelowna’s Regional Active Transportation Coordinator. “We’d like to extend a big thank you to participants and ICBC for sponsoring this year’s campaign.”
To find out more about sustainable transportation options, visit the Parking Services website.
