Want to save money, improve your health, and do your bit to help reduce greenhouse gases?
Well you can..…simply by sometimes walking, cycling, or using public transport instead of driving in your car.
Across Perth, tens of thousands of people are enjoying the benefits of leaving the car at home on one or 2 days each week, and travelling by more sustainable forms of transport. They have been taking part in TravelSmart – a series of programs to help individuals, school students, and employees make smarter, healthier, and more environmentally friendly choices about how they get around.
Upcomming opportunities to be TravelSmart
- World Car Free Day - September 22nd every year
- Bike to Work Challenge - Starts 1st September 2008
- Walktober!
- National Ride to Work Day - 15th October 2008
- Walk Week - 3rd to 9th November 2008
- Great Perth Bike Ride - 23rd November 2008
Great results from TravelSmart programs
How does TravelSmart work?
TravelSmart works by:
Providing information so that you can make an informed decision about how to travel. This information could include a personalised journey plan so that you can compare all of your options; timetables for public transport; maps showing cycle routes so that you can get around by bike; information brochures and fact sheets about cycling; walking guides to help you get around your neighbourhood on foot, or introducing you to colleagues who live in the same suburb as you so that you could car-pool.
Providing opportunities for you to try travelling by green transport. This includes organising events such as Walk to School/Work Days , Cycle to School/Work Days and community events, so that you can experience for yourself how easy and fun it is to walk or cycle.
Making it easier for you to change how you travel. As well as ensuring that you have all the information that you need, this could include lending you a bike or SmartRider , and making sure that there are pavements and bike parking where they are needed.
Celebrating and rewarding your achievements. Travelling by sustainable forms of transport brings its own rewards – such as saving money, improved health, weight loss and more time to yourself (no need to go to the gym if you ride; time to read a book or just relax on the bus). But "sustainable commuter" mornings teas, give-aways and freebies, and recognition by your peers and employer are always well-received too!
Easy ways to be TravelSmart
- Allow children to walk or ride their bike to school – there are some great TravelSmart programmes to help.
- Use public transport for a night out – no Booze Bus worries.
- Ride your bike to the corner shop and put your shopping in a bike basket or panniers – no plastic bags needed!
- Organise a roster with neighbours and take it in turns to drive the kids to school - or better still, take it in turns to walk with them.
- Work from home 1 day each week – phone important clients while wearing your pyjamas!
- Ride a bike to work and get some fresh air – beats riding a bike in the gym.
- Pick up a colleague on the way to work and share petrol costs.
- Use public transport to get to work and catch up on reading that Tom Clancy novel you have been dying to get to grips with.