University at Buffalo - The State University of New York

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By SUE WUETCHER

Published: August 30, 2010

UB’s second annual Commuter Challenge, designed to encourage members of the university community to use sustainable forms of transportation to get to work and school, will run from Aug. 30 through Oct. 1.

Students and faculty and staff members who walk, bike, carpool or take the NFTA Metro or UB Stampede to UB’s three campuses can log their travel online and be eligible to earn prizes donated by local businesses and such campus services as Campus Dining & Shops, Wellness Education Services and Student Life.

Participants should visit the Commuter Challenge website every Friday during September and click the link on the left side of the page to log their miles traveled. Prize winners will be notified by email on Oct. 1. The site also has quick tips for alternative transportation options in Western New York.

Click here to sign up for the Commuter Challenge.

The first UB Commuter Challenge held last fall saved more than 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and contributing to global warming, according to Jim Simon, associate environmental educator for UB Green. Of about 80 people who took part, half changed the way they commuted, at least temporarily, he notes.

“UB is committed to become climate neutral by 2030, and encouraging these sustainable transportation options on campus will play an important role in this effort,” Simon says.

Adds Maria Wallace, director of UB Parking and Transportation Services: “The UB Commuter Challenge is a great way to showcase UB’s CarFree program and its growing menu of options for traveling green on campus.”

Jennifer Morrison, director of student support services, used the NFTA Metro and the UB Stampede to get from her home in the Parkside neighborhood of Buffalo to her office on the North Campus during the 2009 UB Commuter Challenge.

“I’m glad I participated in the challenge because I reduced my dependency on my car and I met some nice people,” Morrison says. “I also value traveling on the Stampede with all the students because it gives me a glimpse into what UB is like for them.”

The UB Commuter Challenge is sponsored by UB Green, Student Affairs and the Wellness Work/Life Balance unit of University Human Resources.

For more information, contact Simon at 829-5725 or jrsimon@buffalo.edu.