Why Smart Commute '06?

We only have one earth. Smart Commuting is a way to fight global warming and improve local air
quality conditions. (In recent years, the Tri-County has fallen below the EPA air quality standards;
most people now agree that the planet is heating up fast, due to humans burning fossil fuels like
petroleum and coal.)

We only get one body per life. We have to take care of ourselves. Smart Commuting gets you
moving whether by bike, by foot, by walking to the bus stop, by walking further to your office from
your carpool location. Adequate physical movement is a key element in cardiovascular health,
mental health, sleeping well, and maintaining a healthy weight. (A recent Ingham County Health
Department study found that 2 in 3 Ingham County adults do not engage in moderate physical
activity at least 3 times a week; 2 in 3 are overweight, and 1 in 5 are obese.)

Spending on gas, physical inactivity, and long commutes are hurting our local economy. In
Michigan, 75 cents on every dollar spent on gas leaves our state economy and contributes to
creating wealth for out-of-state parties and interests. Spending "gas dollars" for purchases that
keep Michigan's economy healthy and growing is an important equation for people to realize.

Further, the economic result of a sedentary lifestyle in this region is estimated at $390 million per
year, when taking into account medical costs of obesity-related illnesses, and productivity and
workers' comp.

According to an article in Lansing State Journal in February 2005, studies have linked
commute-related stress to increased physical and mental problems, higher use of health
insurance and decreased productivity.

Don't just take our word for it! Check out the following news stories highlighting all the
reasons to think about getting around without your car whenever you can:

- April 16, 2007 New Yorker Magazine interviewed Robert Putnam, a Harvard political scientist
who studied the connection between commuting by car and happiness:
"There is a simple rule of thumb: Every ten minutes of commuting [by car] results in ten percent
fewer social connections. Commuting is connected to social isolation, which causes
unhappiness."

- Lansing City Pulse article on Smart Commute '06 - click here

- June 2006 State News Story - http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=30304

- Lansing City Pulse cover story on Smart Commute '05 -
http://archives.lansingcitypulse.com/050511/index.asp

- State News Article on Smart Commute '05 -
http://www.statenews.com/article.phtml?pk=30116