Contact Person(s) Vanessa Kortze 603.292.7208 |
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While the rain has been doing its best to dampen the spirits of the green commuters, the Lamprey Health Care Team of Green Commuters try to remain steadfast in their efforts by walking, biking, carpooling or telecommuting to work this week. This past Monday marked the official kick off of Commute Green New Hampshire, culminating with celebrations across the state on Friday, May 20th, the 55th Annual National Bike/Walk to Work Day.
Although more than half of the U.S. population lives within five miles of their workplace, lack of knowledge and incentive deters many people from commuting by carpool, bike, walking or public transportation.
To encourage people who live and work in the state to reduce single occupant vehicle trips, Commute Green New Hampshire organizers are launching the first-ever Commute Green New Hampshire Statewide Challenge this week.
Commute Green New Hampshire’s primary goal is to help people carpool, bicycle, walk and use public transportation to work, school, shopping and similar trips this week. Commute Green New Hampshire also provides people and employers with resources on how to start using those transportation methods. It is estimated that more than 2,000 people across the state will participate in events and promotions throughout the week spanning the State Capital, Upper Valley, Merrimack Valley, Seacoast and Southwest.
Teams and individuals from businesses, non-profits, schools and municipalities will compete to reduce miles driven by 50,000 miles. That’s the equivalent of taking four cars off the road for one year!
“By reducing 50,000 miles of driving during that one week, commuters could save around $10,000 in just gasoline costs, and reduce the need for around 100 barrels of crude oil,” said Nicholas Coates, Regional Planner with the Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission. “In these challenging economic times, that just makes sense. Plus, reducing the amount of cars on the road preserves the life or our existing roads, reduces the amount of harmful pollutants in the air, keeps New Hampshire’s landscape beautiful and enhances our quality of life.”
U.S. families spend about $9,000 a year on transportation costs, but each person in New Hampshire who carpools, bicycles, walks or uses public transportation three days a week could save up to $3,000 a year.
One car emits about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide per gallon of gasoline it uses, but each New Hampshire resident can reduce the equivalent of taking about two cars a year off the road just by carpooling, bicycling, walking or using public transportation three days a week.
Employees facing traffic congestion in the state lose up to $20 a day in wages by sitting in traffic.
The extra walking related to transit use is estimated at a lifetime savings of $5,500 per person in 2007 dollars. When accounting for decreases in quality of life such as disabilities related to obesity, the estimated savings are even higher.
The top three reasons why employees miss 10 or more days of work are related to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressures, which are all diseases linked to obesity.
The average worker’s compensation medical claim is estimated to be seven times more costly to businesses for an obese worker than a non-obese worker.
Obesity rates in children ages 6-11 have quadrupled in the last four decades (4.2% to 17%) and adolescents ages 12-19 during that same period tripled (4.6% to 17.6%).
For more information on the Commute Green New Hampshire Statewide Challenge, please visit www.commutegreennh.org
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