Environmental Geology NWACC Alternative Transportation Options Spring 2007 Jeff Bowerman Chris Cuchia Melody Beauchamp David Greer Michaele Ann Buell Xue Lee

Project Proposal Promoting Alternative Methods of Transportation to NWACC students

Project Overview   Statistics of NWACC parking permits--4,612   Introduce available alternative methods of transportation--Bus, carpooling, walking, or riding a bicycle.   Benefits of using these methods--Reduction of Greenhouse admissions and saving money on gasoline and vehicle maintenance.

Mileage from local cities to NWACC (round trip) Rogers--10 miles Pea Ridge--20 miles Springdale--30 miles Gravette--40 miles Fayetteville--52 miles Siloam Springs--72 miles Huntsville--92 miles

22 MPG Average vehicle per miles per gallon, price per year (two semesters). Rogers--$ per year Pea Ridge--$ per year Springdale--$ per year Gravette--$ per year Fayetteville--$1, per year Siloam Springs--$1, per year Huntsville--$1, per year

The Rising Environmental Cost of Driving Alone   Transportation accounts for more than 30 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. According to the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), public transportation in the United States saves approximately 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline and about 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide annually.

Energy Independence & Safety   Energy Independence--According to Treehugger.com, if just one in 10 Americans used public transportation daily, U.S. reliance on foreign oil would decrease 40 percent.   Safety--Riding a bus is 79 times safer than riding in an automobile, and riding a train or subway is even safer.

Health & Cost Savings  Health--Studies have shown that people who use public transportation regularly tend to be healthier than people who don’t, because of the exercise they get walking to and from bus stops, subway stations and their homes and offices.  Cost savings--According to an APTA study, families that use public transportation can reduce their household expenses by $6,200 annually, more than the average U.S. household spends on food every year.

Ozark Regional Transit budget compared to neighboring cities  Springfield, MO--$6.6 million; Pop 215,000.  Wichita, KS--$10.2 million; Pop 327,000.  Little Rock, AR--$11.2 million; Pop 360,000.  Tulsa, OK--$14.5 million; Pop 558,000.  Northwest Arkansas--$2.4 million; Pop 200,000.

Ozark Regional Transit Current Routes  us_routes.htm us_routes.htm us_routes.htm

Bikes and Busses   Colorado Springs --combination of alternative transit modes, offer bicycle racks attached to front of bus.

Bike Locker   Colorado Springs-- Locker for bike and gear 3 months lease $15.00 non- refundable key.

Carpooling   Carpooling is the simplest and most common ridesharing arrangement. Carpooling reduces the total number of commute trips made because each passenger, in addition to the driver, represents one less vehicle trip. By sharing the ride, carpoolers save money on fuel, insurance, and car maintenance. Carpooling can also reduce time spent on the road, because carpools can use High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes. When they're not behind the wheel, carpoolers can read, nap, or chat during their commute, reducing stress. And carpooling helps reduce air pollution, traffic congestion, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Carpooling Cont…  Many people are turning to carpooling because of the increase in gas price. The average money saved per week is about between $10 to $60 depending on type of other transportation and where you are located.

Carpooling Advantages  Less stress commuting to and from work  Financial savings due to sharing commuting costs  Increases free time for riders  If an HOV lane is available, trips may take less time  Reduces air pollution due to emissions  Reduces the need for parking

Walmart Sustainability Expo April 20, 2007 NWACC Environmental Geology – Alternative Transportation Group took part in the Walmart Sustainability Expo on April 20, The expo was held at the David Glass Technology building. The Transportation group had a display booth to promote alternative transportation methods to the public. There were over 200 people who attended this event.

Biking and walking to work are healthy ways to make your daily commute. These cost even less than driving or taking transit and get you in shape! They also reduce pollution and congestion, enhancing our quality of life. Some employers offer incentives to employees who bike or walk to work - like bike repairs or free walking shoes.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS), “Approximately 300,000 U.S. deaths a year are associated with obesity and overweight.” Most Americans make the connection between exercise and health, but many people still lead sedentary lives. “The total direct and indirect costs attributed to overweight and obesity amounted to $117 billion in the year 2000.” The Surgeon General recommends moderate physical activity –30 minutes a day, five days a week- to combat the threat of diseases including high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain forms of cancer and depression.

Join in the nationwide call-to-action to Walking at Work on Wednesday, April 25 and rally local businesses and their employees to initiate Start! Employers are asked to encourage their employees to bring their sneakers to work and take a walk for 30 minutes. Why walk? Walking is the key to prevention.  With the lowest drop out rate of any physical activity, walking is the simplest positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health.  Research shows that for every hour of physical activity, there is a gain of 2 hours of life expectancy. The benefits are clear: 2 for 1.  The average annual healthcare cost per person exceeds $3,000 and 60% of CEOs cite healthcare as their top cost pressure.

The True Cost of Driving Average Operating Costs Only per Mile National Average Total Ownership and Operating Costs per Mile Miles per Year 10,00015,00020,000 Small sedan 50.5¢41.7¢37.6¢ Medium sedan 62.4¢53.1¢48.4¢ Large sedan 72.9¢61.9¢56.5¢ Composite National Average 62.0¢52.2¢47.7¢ Average Operating Costs Only per Mile Vehicle Type Small sedan Medium sedan Large sedan Average Gas and Oil 8.0¢9.8¢10.7¢9.5¢ Maintenance4.5¢4.9¢5.4¢4.9¢ Tires0.5¢0.8¢0.7¢0.7¢ Cost per Mile 13.0¢15.5¢16.8¢15.1¢

. Environmental Geology class for NWACC East project is promoting more use of the Ozark Regional Transit. Walmart currently has a carpool program that can match associates with compatible carpooling groups.

Commuting Calculators

Suggestions from Walmart Sustainability Expo  Bus routes specifically for Walmart associates and corporate locations.  Additional parking areas for modes of transportation other than cars.  Improve bus transit, needed for development of light rail system.  Purpose a NWACC survey of those interested in car-pooling.

Technology   Internet for research   Powerpoint presentation   Cell phone/telephone conferences   TV media

Community Contacts   Jim Hall   NWACC Information Center   Walmart Sustainability Expo   Ozark Regional Transit

Skills to Develop  Team building  Problem solving  Communication – Public speaking

Expected Outcome MET--Increasing awareness of the benefits for NWACC students for using alternative transportation options.

References NWACC Travel Mileage Chart Northwest Arkansas Times, “Curing NWA’s transportation needs requires vision”, Phil Pumphrey, Sunday April 15, 2007, A4 D=1212