Green Living 101: Getting Around

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Pedal Power

The only true pollution-free way to get around is to ride a bike or walk, which not only save pounds of CO2 emissions but can burn as much as 175 calories per hour. If you don't own a bike or it just needs to be repaired before you start pedaling your way to class, many non-profit bike co-ops can help at minimal cost. In Manhattan, New York University students have paired up with Time's Up!, a bike co-op that teaches maintenance and repair (www.times-up.org). The program collects abandoned bikes and refurbishes them. About 80 percent of the bikes are donated to NYU freshmen to help promote cleaner transportation. The rest are either scrapped for parts or go to the Recycle-a-Bike program operated by Time's Up!.

"Our program is benefiting students and the planet because they're using a cleaner mode of transportation and creates lets congestion for the city. It's a good use of recycling all around," Time's Up! Director Bill DiToala says. While programs like these may be rare, there are other ways to find bikes. Check out local warehouses, bike co-ops and thrift shops for bikes that may just need a simple tune-up. Some co-ops even offer free classes on bike repair.

Long-Distance Travel

Greyhound buses (www.greyhound.com) and Amtrak trains (www.amtrak.com) offer discounts through frequent-travelers' rewards and Student Advantage discount cards (www.studentadvantage.com), which cost as little as $20 per year and offer a 15 percent discount to students planning trips. For the more adventurous, buses out of Chinatown in New York City are expanding to include more cities on the East and West Coasts, with roundtrips costing as little as $20 (www.chinatown-bus.org).

Also, check out Craigslist, Facebook and university billboards for ride shares. However, be sure to take the proper precautions to make sure your long-distance ride is a safe one. Conduct thorough background checks on your ride, and if possible, try to hitch a ride with someone you know or bring a friend, who's also looking to leave campus, with you.

Additional Resources:

Deep-Fried Fuel Efficiency

Shifting Gears: 12 Tips on Moving From the Fast Lane to the Bike Lane

Sarah Lipman is a former Green Guide intern and a senior at the University of Delaware.

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