According to a 2004 City of Winnipeg study, 73% of respondents regularly drove their car to work.  Our transportation choices have a direct impact on the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere, gases which contribute to climate change.  Single Occupant Vehicles  contribute to climate change and air pollution, not to mention avoidable traffic congestion and travel stress.

Green Commuting is a chance to a change this!  Easy, fun, great for your health and great for your wallet! Green commuting choices for getting to work include walking, cycling, riding public transit, carpooling, telecommuting or any combination of these.

There are plenty of resources and tips to help you try out a greener way of getting to work - even for just one day a week! 

Learn more about the benefits and options by taking a look at RCM's green commuting resources on-line.

There are lots of reasons why employees and employers alike are drawn to green and active transportation -- transit, walking, cycling, carpooling and telecommuting:

• Increased productivity and reduced absenteeism resulting from the wellness benefits of physical activity associated with cycling or walking (all or partway) to and from work
• Cost savings for employees and employers from reduced transportation-related and parking management expenses
• Improved environmental stewardship by achieving sustainable development objectives of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
• Improved morale and longer retention of employees whose green commuting needs are being accommodated
• Enhanced image and profile in the community as an employer that cares about its employees and the environment

A great way to introduce green commuting practices is to register your workplace for the Annual Commuter Challenge. This takes place during the first week of June each year. It is a chance to try out some of the alternatives for the week, and to gauge interest in further steps.

For more information and for a comprehensive look at green commuting for the workplace, check out RCM's Green Commute Workplace Guide.

An important way to green your workplace, is by making green commuting practical.

Bike racks enable workers to get to work without emitting greenhouse gases.  If you are downtown, you can take advantage of a program by the Winnipeg's Downtown Business Improvement Zone (BIZ), that helps subsidize bike racks, up to 50%.  Order forms and more information  are available from Resource Conservation Manitoba's Transportation Demand Management program.