small steps, smaller footprints

 

One thing is for certain, in the U.S. there is room (literally) for improvement in carpooling and public transit. Americans actually used to be better about ride-sharing. In 1980, over 25% of American workers either carpooled or used public transportation. That share of commuters has been in steady decline. Today, just 14% of U.S. workers carpool or use public transit. This is especially tragic because the average commuting distance in America is approximately 10 miles, much further than in other countries.  Why are we headed in the wrong direction? One reason could be the increased affordability of personal transportation, but this hasn't prevented growth in public transit and ride-sharing in other nations. America has a unique vehicular mindset. Talk to those you work with, be open to other means of transportation, explore your social network. Many people have yet to tap into potential ride-share partners at work. Who knows, you may already be acquainted with a few individuals who live and work in locations that make it convenient for you all to fill a vehicle and save money. If you have a hard time finding others to buddy up with, there are several ride-sharing apps that might be able to help you out. We understand it is very unlikely that you will be able to carpool 100% of the time. For Action 28, we assume the average American can carpool or use public transit to get to work most of the time. The impact of committing to this group effort is:

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