Annual savings of $10,788.83.
It’s not from cutting coupons or by switching car insurance. All it takes is something very simple, that not only saves time and money, but makes an impact on the environment.
The Omaha-Council Bluffs Metropolitan Area Planning Agency (MAPA) is tackling the issue of ozone levels in our community. Ground-level ozone is a pollutant and levels are affected by heat and certain emissions. We can’t always predict the days when ozone levels will be elevated, so MAPA has created Ozone Awareness Days to show us “Little Steps” can make a “Big Impact.”
So how does MAPA’s Ozone Awareness Days and more than $10,000 in savings fit together? In previous LiveGreen articles, one of the options where your “Little Steps” can make a “Big Impact” is to ride a Metro bus.
Metro’s website has a lot of good information, including their savings calculator. I entered my information for both of my vehicles and was surprised by what I found. Not only could I save more than $10,000 in commuting costs (gas, wear and tear on my vehicle, additional oil changes, parking fees), but I save an additional 90 minutes a day. I don’t have to deal with traffic headaches and can spend that time reading or doing some other activity that I couldn’t do while driving. Here are some things that you may not know about riding the Metro bus:
- Nine different bus routes come right by UNMC: The 2, 3, 11, 15, 55, 92 and 98 lines, going to all different parts of town.
- The buses are well lit and have heat and air conditioning.
- Normally the fare is $1.25. You can pay with exact change, purchase a bus pass with 10 rides, or buy an unlimited monthly pass.
- During Ozone Awareness Days, the fare each way is only 50 cents. August’s Ozone days are next week, Aug. 12, 13, 14 and 15.
To find out how much you can save by riding Metro, click here.