Story by Rachel Nelson
Commuter Services of Pennsylvania offers resources to workers who need help getting to work in a green way. Commute PA provides free programs that help you find alternative transport to your destination.
Commuter Services of Pennsylvania offers resources to workers who need help getting to work in a green way. Commute PA provides free programs that help you find alternative transport to your destination. The service offers many different options for you to use in order to cut down on pollution and get to work easier.
The commuter services gives information and tips on how to carpool, use transit, and even bike to work instead of driving alone. A free and confidential ridematching database matches commuters with others in the area with similar commutes to encourage the use of carpool as a means of traveling to work. Traveling with one other person could cut your costs in half, and helps reduce pollution at the same time.
Commute PA also helps commuters who worry about what they will do in a situation where they cannot plan a ride. In these situations when an emergency occurs, commuters can rely on the Emergency Ride Home program. Riders who are enrolled in the free program in Lancaster county will receive reimbursements for emergency rides that they take through transit, taxis, Uber or Lyft, or even from a co-worker.
In order to receive a reimbursement for the fare, the individual must already be enrolled in the Emergency Ride Home program and must be a regular user of greener commute alternatives. The reimbursements are not only a big help to commuters, but they are also a great incentive to encourage the use of carpooling or transit methods of travel.
Making it easier for commuters to find other options for traveling to work will encourage the use of cleaner transport. Commuter Services of Pennsylvania provides many other helpful resources to commuters, including their Find a Bike Rack map as well as their list of safety tips. The Bike Rack map locates racks in the area where you can lock up your bike or free.
photo by Rachel Nelson
In Lancaster alone there are over 20 bike racks open to anyone to use. Many of them are located downtown in close proximity to local businesses and offices. In addition, Red Rose Transit have bike racks on their buses, making it even easier for riders to combine multiple alternative travel methods on their daily commute.
Photo by Rachel Nelson
Pick Your Own Tree to Plant on Your Street
Planting a tree in your neighborhood is possible through The City of Lancaster’s Street Tree Planting Program. The affordable service offers residents the opportunity to beautify their street while also helping the environment. Interested residents can apply through the city website to have a new tree planted on their property.
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The City Arborist assists in choosing the right tree for the area and will also evaluate the location that the tree will be planted in. The only cost to the resident is for the healthy and professionally grown tree, which includes the cost of any labor that will be necessary.
Success of Wind Energy in Lancaster County
Pennsylvania is a great place for harnessing wind energy because of the amount of power that is present in its mountainous areas, specifically in eastern PA.
- Turkey Hill Dairy has been harnessing wind power since 2010 when Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority and PPL Energy installed the project.
- Turkey Hill receives anywhere from 21% to 25% of its annual electricity from wind energy generated at Turkey Point.
- It gathers its energy from steady winds from the northwest and is located on an unused portion of Frey Farm Landfill.
- The turbines create enough energy for Turkey Hill Dairy annually to produce 5 million gallons of their ice cream
“Wind Project at Turkey Point.” Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, 23 April 2018. http://www.lcswma.org/lcswma_energy_wind.cfm