<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">"<a href="mailto:pfitzrandolph@frontiernet.net">pfitzrandolph@frontiernet.net</a>" <<a href="mailto:pfitzrandolph@frontiernet.net">pfitzrandolph@frontiernet.net</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;"><b>[sustainable_tompkins-l] This Week's Signs of Sustainablity Article: Summer Abundance Through Sharing</b><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">July 22, 2015 12:38:51 PM EDT<br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">Sustainability In Tompkins County <<a href="mailto:sustainable_tompkins-l@list.cornell.edu">sustainable_tompkins-l@list.cornell.edu</a>><br></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Reply-To: </b></span><span style="font-family:'Helvetica'; font-size:medium;">"Sustainability in Tompkins County" <<a href="mailto:sustainable_tompkins-l@list.cornell.edu">sustainable_tompkins-l@list.cornell.edu</a>><br></span></div><br><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; "><div id="yiv8700897871"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16218"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16217" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; "><div id="yiv8700897871"><div id="yiv8700897871yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_10868"><div id="yiv8700897871yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_10867" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; "><div id="yiv8700897871yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_9563"><h2 id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16290" class="">Summer Abundance Through Sharing</h2>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16292" class="" style="margin-top:5px"><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16299">(view more articles in <a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16291" class="" href="http://sustainabletompkins.org/signs-of-sustainability/tompkins-weekly-series/">SOS Tompkins Weekly</a>)</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16300"><br></div></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16293" class=""><strong class="">Tompkins Weekly</strong> 7-20-15</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16294" class="">by Sophie Somerfeldt</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16301" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16302" class="">Golden sunshine and sweet summer breezes can bring out our most
generous selves. Can a ‘sharing mood’ around transportation bring out
the best in our whole community? Here are five ways it already is, and
how you can get in on the summer fun.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16304" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16303" class=""><strong class="">1) Sharing rides.</strong> Every parent wants their child to
succeed, and it turns out that participating in sports, musicals or
other organized, peer-group ‘extras’ aren’t extra after all–the social
connections, new skills and leadership development leads to more
successful students. This past year and heading into the next, the
Ithaca City School District has become increasingly committed to
encouraging all students to join in at least one of these school-based
activities and to <em class="">not</em> letting transportation barriers stand in the way.<span class="" id="more-5894"></span></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16359" class="">One of the best solutions: sharing rides. Coaches and other activity
leaders have been supportive of parent volunteers organizing more shared
rides among families, during the year and for the many summer
opportunities for youth. Including all students and building camaraderie
through shared rides in turn creates a more diverse talent pool and a
stronger community for everyone.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16364" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16369" class=""><strong class="">What you can do: </strong>Consider sharing more rides than
usual; see if other caregivers are interested, or ask the coach,
director or activity leader to support more organized ridesharing. For
helpful tips and support, contact Way2Go as shown below.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16375" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16370" class=""><strong class="">2) Sharing bus service.</strong> Sometimes a shared ride
doesn’t work out, but a bus route does! Through the local School Success
Transportation Coalition (SSTC), TCAT has been getting in on the
sharing act by providing free transit passes to Ithaca City School
District (ICSD) students who need and can use them to get to various
school-based and/or leadership development activities.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16386" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16380" class="">Whether for basketball or drama practice, language support at the
library, or even a summer job, the SSTC/ICSD bus pass program is
creating opportunities for youth. What’s more, young people learn a
valuable life skill and become role models for using one of the most
sustainable transportation options around.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16387" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16381" class=""><strong class="">What you can do: </strong>To find out more about the bus pass program, or to offer support, contact the School Success Transportation Coalition at <a class="" href="http://schoolsuccesstc.weebly.com/">schoolsuccesstc.weebly.com</a>, or through Way2Go (see below).</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16397" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16392" class=""><strong class="">3) Sharing our gorges. </strong>And it doesn’t stop there.
TCAT makes it easier for us all to share our gorgeous local parks
through their Route 22 bus service, which travels between downtown and
Treman State Park, Buttermilk Falls State Park, Cass Park, Cayuga Nature
Center, and Taughannock Falls State Park. Weekday service runs through
August 21st, and weekend service through September 6th.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16407" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16402" class=""><strong class="">What you can do: </strong>Ride the bus! The more people on
the bus–in particular, the more of us who take advantage of Route 22
this summer–the more support TCAT has to continue the service. Visit <a class="" href="http://www.tcatbus.com/">www.tcatbus.com</a> for more information about Route 22 and other bus routes around the county.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16418" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16413" class=""><strong class="">4) Sharing the air.</strong> We can’t help but share the air
we breathe, but there is a simple thing we can do to breathe easier:
turn off our cars. I’m not talking about leaving your car behind–though
that’s a great idea when you can, especially in summer. Simply turn off
your car when it’s not moving, unless you’re in traffic.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16428" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16412" class="">Common myths and habits can make people very resistant to this idea,
whether at a fast food drive through, or the parking lot of EcoVillage.
“I don’t want to stress the engine,” we say, or “I’m only waiting here
for a minute!” Here’s the truth: studies show that you save engine wear,
money and pollution by turning your engine <em class="">off</em> for any stop beyond <em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16423" class="">6 to 10 seconds!</em></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16490" class=""><em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16423" class=""><br></em></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16448" class=""><strong class="">What you can do: </strong>For one day, or one week, give it a
try: turn your car off when your wheels stop moving, except in traffic.
Drive-throughs? Definitely! You’ll find it’s perfectly easy to turn
your car back on when it’s time to move forward. Dropping off and
picking up friends? Yup. Turn your car off for that three minute parting
conversation or five minute wait. For more myth-busting facts and
anti-idling encouragement, see <a href="http://iturnitoff.com">iturnitoff.com</a>.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16491" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16433" class=""><strong class="">5) Sharing the road. </strong>The other day, as I was
carefully riding my bicycle through the west end, an infuriated driver
yelled out of her car window: “You <em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16434" class="">can’t</em> ride in the road like that–<em class="">you’re not a car</em>!”</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16501" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16496" class="">Not only was she suffering from road rage, she seemed unaware of
basic traffic law–and she’s not the only one. Where cars are dominant,
we tend to think that roads are <em class="">for</em> cars. Not true. Roads are for moving people, and adults-on-bicycles have the same rights and must <em class="">follow the same exact rules </em>as
other vehicles. There are a few exceptions where bicycles aren’t
allowed, such as interstate freeways. However, on most streets and
roads, adult bicyclists <em class="">are</em> like cars!</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16511" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16284" class="">In fact, in the City of Ithaca, while kids may ride on sidewalks,
adult riders may not. Bikes and cars must share the road, and follow the
same rules for yielding. Generally, all slower vehicles must ride to
the right where practical. And while a car and bicycle may share a wider
lane, a narrower lane means a bicyclist may and often must “take the
lane” to ride safely. In either case, safe bicycling means riding far
enough from parked cars to be out of the “door zone.”</div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16523" class=""><strong class="">What you can do: </strong>Whether a driver or rider or both,
knowing the law and ‘playing nicely’ can get everyone where they want to
go as safely and quickly possible. For a (no) crash course on rules of
the road, visit the League of American Bicyclists at <a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16506" class="" href="http://bikeleague.org/content/traffic-laws">bikeleague.org/content/traffic-laws</a>. You can also call the City of Ithaca or find information at <a class="" href="http://cityofithaca.org/FAQ">cityofithaca.org/FAQ</a>. For more on local bicycling support and events, check out the Finger Lakes Cycling Club at <a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16525" class="" href="http://www.flcycling.org/">flcycling.org</a> and Bike Walk Tompkins at <a id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16526" class="" href="http://bikewalktompkins.org/">bikewalktompkins.org</a>.</div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16535" class=""><br></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16518" class="">Hooray for all the ways people are creating more abundance and a
stronger community through thoughtful transportation habits. Let the
laid-back-but-lush flavor of summer inspire <em class="">you</em> to share more rides, ride the bus, share the air, share the road, and enjoy the season<strong class="">.</strong></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16595" class=""><strong class=""><br></strong></div>
<div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16516" class="" dir="ltr"><em id="yui_3_16_0_1_1437582621253_16517" class="">Sophie Somerfeldt is a transportation educator at Way2Go, a
program of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County. For
information about getting around Tompkins County safely, affordably and
conveniently, contact Way2Go at Cornell Cooperative Extension of
Tompkins County at (607)-272-2292, or <a class="" href="mailto:staff@Way2Go.org">staff@Way2Go.org</a>.</em></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br></body></html>