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The biggest game in college football this weekend is undoubtedly Saturday’s matchup between FSU and Oklahoma. As part of its College Game Day Coverage, ESPN shot a spot today that will feature the FSU reCycle Bike Rental Program. Supported with funds supplied by Commuter Services of North Florida, this program rents bikes to FSU students on a semester or yearly basis as a way to improve student mobility and reduce cars traveling to and from campus.

reCycle program creator and FSU student Sandy Simmons provided an overview of the program, and then FSU Kicker Dustin Hopkins and Punter Shawn Powell participated in the shoot. The two Seminoles football players then took the opportunity to ride two of the bikes across campus, all while being filmed by ESPN. The story should appear during ESPN’s day-long telecast from Tallahassee on Saturday.

A lot of discussion has occurred in the past few years about the world’s population and whether or not we can sustain such skyrocketing growth in terms of food and water. An additional complication of this growth is automobile traffic which could quadruple in our lifetime as growing economies (i.e. China) create more and more automobile consumers.

Automobile traffic today and subsequent congestion already contributes to longer commutes, dirtier air, and a host of other problems. As more and more cars hit the road… Well, you can do the math.

More and more emphasis is being placed on technology and its ability to manage vehicle growth. Still, we need policies that seek to slow the rate of growth by implementing strategic trip reduction programs that emphasize mass transit, car-sharing, bicycling, and walking. Technologies that eliminate the need to make trips (i.e. telework) must also be part of the policy discussion.

For a perspective on this subject, read a recent opinion piece by the Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company.

As commuters feel the pain of higher prices at the pump, some are also starting to see the domino effect high gas prices has on the purchase of other goods and services.  Higher fuel prices mean companies are paying more to transport the products they put on their store shelves, and unfortunately, that results in higher prices to you.

Food is no exception.  That artichoke that gets shipped from California to Tallahassee is going to cost more.  So are bananas from Cost Rica and milk from Wisconsin.  You can minimize these higher prices by buying local fruits and vegetables.

Tallahassee is blessed with a variety of local farmers’ markets.  You’ll find them at scheduled and designated locations around the region, or you may see them pop up on the road side as you’re traveling to and from the beach.  Either way, many of these markets provide high quality fruits and vegetables, and because many are grown locally, you’ll pay less because the transportation expenses are less.  So, as we swing into spring,  buy local.

Connecting people with jobs is a critical benefit of public transit service in our region, and the Gadsden Express is proving itself to be an invaluable resource for Gadsden County residents.

In April of this year, Gadsden County launched the Gadsden Express, an express transit service linking Quincy and Midway to Tallahassee. During its first full month of operation, the Gadsden Express provided 837 trips. In September, the service provided 1,817 trips – an increase of 117%.

A ridership survey which was conducted in August also revealed some good information about how and why Gadsden Express riders are using the service. 43% of riders say they use the service for work purposes while 21% use the service for school or other vocational training.

68.9% of riders use the service at least 3 days per week, and 35% of riders use the service 5 days per week.

Other important information collected from the survey shows that 60.8% of riders use the service because they do not own a car while 42.7% use the service because it’s cheaper than driving their car. The current fare is $1/trip. The fare is even cheaper when users purchase multi-ride passes.

For more information download a Gadsden Express brochure or call Big Bend Transit at 850-627-9958. If you are a rider and using the Gadsden Express service to get to and from work, be sure to register for Commuter Services’ free Emergency Ride Home Program.

Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of hybrid automobiles. Since automobiles account for the majority of mobile source emissions, the emphasis seems well-placed. However, a recent article on Yahoo! Green by Lori Bongiorno rightfully points out ways in which driving a hybrid is no more green than driving any other car.

Hybrid and electric automobiles do, in fact, reduce carbon emissions, but sometimes, what you drive is less important than how much you drive. Even if every American household switched to a hybrid automobile, it would do nothing to curtail traffic congestion. Traffic congestion, in turn, increases public demand for more roadways which, if built, can have a significant environmental impact. Furthermore, as some experts have noted, new roadway construction can lead to worse congestion and potentially worse environmental degradation.

Commuter Services of North Florida helps people reduce their dependence on personal automobiles. Locally, many agencies are working on policies that encourage bicycling, walking, carpooling, and public transit as part of an overall transportation planning strategy. In doing so, we can begin to maximize the capacity of our existing roadways. This lessens the financial burden on already-strapped federal, state, and local governments to build additional roadways.

Certainly, no one should be dissuaded from purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle. But perhaps, as Ms. Bongiorno’s article illustrates, it’s how you use it that determines whether or not it’s green. If you purchase a hybrid and carpool with your spouse or neighbor, the rewards are even sweeter.

This week, representatives from Commuter Services, StarMetro, Gadsden County, the Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency, and Big Bend Transit will be conducting surveys of Gadsden Express riders. The purpose of the survey is to identify who is using the service and why the use the service. Results of the survey will be used to make any needed improvements to the service including the addition of stops and/or more frequent service.

If you ride the Gadsden Express, please take time to complete the on-board survey when asked. Staff from the agencies listed above will be available to assist you. The survey will conclude on Friday, August 20. Final results will be posted on the Commuter Services of North Florida website.

Do you have an old bicycle that you never use or one that would be perfect for use with a little tender loving care?  If so, consider donating it to a good cause.

A student-driven initiative at Florida State University is looking for used (or new) bikes to be used as part of a bicycle loaner program for FSU students.  The purpose of this program is to encourage greater bicycle use among FSU students by providing low or no-cost access to vehicles and safety equipment.  Each semester, students can obtain a bicycle for use throughout the term through this program.  But in order to make that happen, they need bicycles.

Repeated studies have shown that bicycling is one of the most healthy forms of travel.  It also saves the user money in transportation expenses and eliminates virtually all pollution associated with traditional commute modes.  Students receive an added benefit by not having to spend as much time searching for parking.

If you’d like to donate a bike or learn more about this program, please contact Sandy Simmons by email.

As concern continues to grow over massive quantities of oil being released into the Gulf, discussions about renewable energy are becoming more and more numerous, but conservation is just as vital and can start today. Using fewer resources to achieve similar results is the cornerstone of commute option programs. A single bus operating at full capacity can eliminate 60 cars from the road. This equates to 14,921 gallons of gasoline or 765 barrels of crude oil saved over the course of a year by work trips alone. Carpooling, vanpooling, bicycling, walking, and telework also help to reduce consumption of fossil fuels that are currently being dumped into the Gulf.

On June 17, start making a long-term commitment to conservation by participating in Dump the Pump Day. This national campaign is designed to encourage you to ride public transit or try other commute options. Visit publictransportation.org for more information. You can also connect on their Facebook page or on their Twitter page, @GoGreenGoPublic.

Update, 6/10: We have created a page on our site for Dump the Pump 2010.

If you commute more than 40 miles a day to get to and from work, vanpooling may be a great commuting option to consider. Vanpooling can reduce your annual commuting costs by 75% or more, and if you live in Wakulla, Gadsden, Jefferson, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, Calhoun, Franklin, or Jackson counties, you can save even more.

Through a special program for rural county residents in Florida, the Florida Department of Transportation is offsetting monthly operational costs for vehicle lease, insurance, maintenance and fuel by 60%.

The Vanpooling page on our website contains more information about this program.