Going Green and Saving Bucks: How Good is That?

It can be hard to stop and smell the roses when you know gas prices are somewhere near the moon. Added to that, if you’ve been mulling over about doing your bit in reducing your carbon footprint, there are several green, money-saving commuting options available to residents in north central Connecticut.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation has given the thumbs up to NuRide, a popular transportation organization that enables you to not just save, but also make money for a change!

Just by choosing to car-pool, van-pool, riding the bicycle, the bus or rails on weekdays and/or weekends, you start to earn NuRide points. You even get points for walking and telecommuting – anything that reduces the carbon footprint. When you accumulate a certain number of points, businesses – as part of their marketing strategy – gift you with redeemable certificates to restaurants and stores.

For example, NuRiders (as they are called) in Manchester and Enfield have access to 71 different kinds of rewards. At the NuRide website, you can connect with NuRiders in your area with whom you can car-pool or van-pool. As of May 14, there were 129 NuRiders in Manchester and 40 in Enfield.

Just go to www.nuride.com, select Connecticut as your region, and type in your town to know how many NuRiders live in your area. The entire service is free of charge to you.

You could also take a look at www.erideshare.com Connecticut. Listings show riders who either live or commute to the following towns: Manchester, Vernon, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Storrs, Suffield and Enfield. The membership registration process is free and simple.

At www.carpoolworld.com Connecticut, you are matched with a fellow-rider by a public-matching system upon filling out a trip form. However, if you wish to personally select the person you ride with, you can start your own car-pool matching system for $10 a month.

You can obtain commuter tax benefits and special benefits for drivers at www.easystreet.org Connecticut, based on the number of miles accumulated. Your monthly fee includes vehicle insurance, gasoline and maintenance costs. The van-share is available at several locations in north central Connecticut and can seat seven, 12 or 15 people.  

The Connecticut Department of Transportation sponsors free rides via MetroPool. For details, visit www.metropool.com.

Safety Tips   

As with any service on the Internet, you are responsible for your safety. Toward that end, eRideShare offers the following tips:

• Meet the person or persons you choose to ride with, and make sure you feel comfortable
• Don’t hesitate to ask to see a valid photo identity including drivers’ license
• Do a quick background check by visiting the person’s Facebook and LinkedIn profiles