Prepare to Smart Commute

Below are some of the different modes of Smart Commuting, and links to additional information on each.

As you scroll down this page, you'll find information and resources on:

Walking to Work and Living Closer to Work
Bicycle Commuting
Telecommuting
Carpooling
Vanpooling
Riding the Bus

Walking to Work: obviously only practical if you live near your workplace-- most people find it takes too
much time to walk more than two miles to work.

That said, have you considered living closer to work?

If you work at MSU or in East Lansing, you'll have no problem finding a beautiful home close to campus.
East Lansing neighborhoods great for anyone-- including young people, families, and empty-nesters.

If you work in downtown Lansing and haven't checked out downtown housing in a while, it's time to check!
Times have changed, and Lansing urban area is again becoming an attractive place for young people,
families, and empty-nesters. Click here to learn about a number of exciting new school and housing
projects in and around downtown Lansing.

Bicycle Commuting: works for most people who live 15 miles or less from their workplace and can identify
safe routes to work and kid drop-off locations. Even if you live farther, you can build up to a longer commute
over time, or drive/take transit for part of your route.

You'll be surprised that bicycle commuting doesn't add that much extra time to your commute. You'll also be
surprised at how much energy you'll have when you get to work and when you get back home. It's a very
energizing mode of transportation, as well as relaxing. It gives you a chance to move your body, increase
your cardiovascular strength, and "smell the flowers".

It will also save you a bundle of money. The average cost of keeping an automobile running for a year is
$3,000. For a bicycle, it's less than $300 annually. (Those numbers don't include what you pay for parking!)
To calculate how much money YOU could save, calories you could burn, and pollution you could prevent,
click here.

For Smart Commute '06, we have developed a number of tools and resources to help you begin bicycle
commuting. They include:

Naturally, there are some folks who won't be able to bicycle commute each and every day. But if you even do
it once in a while, you'll definitely feel the difference.

Telecommuting: working from home or a satellite office is another option that you may be able to work out
with your employer. The Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina, which employs 38,000 people,
started what is now one of the nation's most robust smart commute programs. The most popular commute
alternative in the RTP is telecommuting, and it has had the most impact on reducing traffic congesting and
improving air quality. Below are the benefits that the RTP's Smart Commute program has identified:

Employee benefits:

Increased job satisfaction
Increased productivity as a result of continuous, uninterrupted work time. (click here to view a graph
showing telecommuter productivity, and a discussion on productivity and telecommuting)
Flexibility to manage work and family life schedule
Reduced absenteeism
Financial savings
Reduced traffic congestion
Improved air quality
Reduced car maintenance

Employer benefits:

Increased employee productivity
Improved employee morale
Expanded hiring opportunities
Improved recruitment and retention of employees
Reduced absenteeism
Increased compliance with commute trip reduction policies
Emergency readiness
Expanded parking space
Reduced need for office space
Financial savings
Reduced traffic congestion
Improved air quality

The RTP has developed a great manual that employees will want to have in hand when talking to employers
about this option. Click here to view (PDF).

Carpooling: particularly effective for those commuting more than 20 miles. It will save you money, give you a
break from driving, and save parking hassles. It will also give you time to spend on a hobby like reading or
knitting, or give you more time to sleep or socialize.

C heck out the Clean Commute Options Program at CATA for help finding someone to carpool with - click
here or call 517-393-7433 or email cleancommute@cata.org.

Vanpooling: also great if you are commuting more than 20 miles each way. Benefits are very similar to
carpooling. In Michigan, we have the MichiVan program, developed by the Michigan Department of
Transportation (MDOT).

Basics of how it works: one person volunteers to be the Primary Driver of the van and is allowed to ride free.
Riders are assessed a monthly fee. Commuter vanpools are open to the public. Check for available routes
and call MichiVan for more details (click here).

Contact MichiVan at 1-800-VAN-RIDE (800-826-7433) to find out more information. If you are unable to find
a current route, click here (PDF) to learn how you can start your own commuter vanpool group.

Riding the bus: get some exercise on your way to the bus stop, spend time reading or relaxing on the bus,
save money on gas and parking, and get some more exercise after you get off the bus. The Capital Area
Transit Authority offers 39 routes, as well as curb-to-curb service for rural residents.

Too much of a hike to the bus stop nearest you? Consider bicycling to the stop and loading your bike onto
the front of the bus.

To give you better links to specific pages on the CATA website, important phone numbers, and bus safety
information, Smart Commute '06 has developed a special bus commuter info page (click here).

Or, for personal assistance, c heck out the Clean Commute Options Program at CATA by call ing
517-393-7433 or email cleancommute@cata.org.