<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;" class="">From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Marcia Lynch</b> <span dir="ltr" class=""><<a href="mailto:mlynch@tompkins-co.org" class="">mlynch@tompkins-co.org</a>></span></div><div class=""><div dir="ltr" class=""><div class="gmail_quote">Date: Fri, Mar 9, 2018 at 12:46 PM<br class="">Subject: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Finger Lakes Rideshare Reports Large Benefits to the Community<br class="">To: Marcia Lynch <<a href="mailto:mlynch@tompkins-co.org" class="">mlynch@tompkins-co.org</a>><br class=""><br class=""><br class="">
<div lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" class="">
<div class="m_8575581085819916361WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%" class=""><img id="m_8575581085819916361Picture_x0020_1" class="" apple-inline="yes" src="cid:image003.png@01D3B7A4.A8B0E080"></span><a name="m_8575581085819916361__GoBack" class=""></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%" class=""><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p>
<h6 class=""><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt" class="">Contact:</span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt;font-weight:normal" class="">
<i class="">Fernando de Aragón, Director, Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></i></span></h6>
<h6 class=""><i class=""><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt;font-weight:normal" class=""> <a href="tel:(607)%20274-5570" value="+16072745570" target="_blank" class="">607-274-5570</a>, <a href="mailto:fdeargon@tompkins-co.org" target="_blank" class="">fdeargon@tompkins-co.org</a></span></i><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;letter-spacing:0pt;font-weight:normal" class=""> <wbr class=""> <wbr class=""> <wbr class="">
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></h6><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%" class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b class=""><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%" class="">FINGER LAKES RIDESHARE REPORTS LARGE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center">
<b class=""><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">[ITHACA, NY] March 9, 2018 –<span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif" class="">
</span>Finger Lakes Rideshare serves as a free online platform where people needing or offering rides can find each other. The system uses the Zimride engine to coordinate requests from users. Finger Lake Rideshare can be found online at
<a href="http://www.fingerlakesrideshare.org/" target="_blank" class="">www.FingerLakesRideshare.org</a>.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">According to the 2017 annual report, 4,000 new users signed up with the system in 2017, posting 13,662 new ride requests. The estimated environmental impact from reduced automobile use as a result of sharing rides is reflected in a reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions of 554,227 pounds. On the economic side, users are estimated to have saved over $400,000 in automobile use.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Since its inception before 2010, online ridesharing in Tompkins County has had over 30,000 users offering over 68,000 rides, resulting in estimated reductions of over 3.6million pounds of carbon emissions and savings to drivers of over
$2.6 million.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Finger Lakes Rideshare, also known as FLX Rideshare, is structured with four main access portals: Cornell University; Ithaca College; an Academic portal that includes Wells College, Tompkins-Cortland Community College, Binghamton University,
and TST-Boces; and finally, a Community Portal that is open to all community members. Representatives from all these organizations plus Way2Go, Tompkins County Department of Social Services, TCAT and the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council work together
as the Finger Lakes Rideshare Coalition to manage and fund the service. <u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Dawn Montanye, Team Leader of the Cornell Cooperative Extension Way2Go program, explained that “the quickest and easiest way to reduce road congestion, cut emissions, and save travelers money is through carpooling. Finger Lakes Rideshare
makes it easy for people to find each other for commuting and one-time trips.”<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Coalition members are eager to increase the number of drivers posting rides and the number of matches found by commuters in the seven county area of Tompkins, Cayuga, Cortland, Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler and Seneca counties. Carpooling for
the work commute has multiple benefits including reduced cost, lower road congestion and lower emissions.
<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Visit <a href="http://www.fingerlakesrideshare.org/" target="_blank" class="">www.FingerLakesRideshare.org</a> or Facebook at ‘Finger Lakes Rideshare’ to learn more and see how easy it is to participate.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:12.0pt">
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<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">------<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">Marcia E. Lynch<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">Public Information Officer<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">125 E. Court Street<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">Ithaca, NY 14850<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">Tel: <a href="tel:(607)%20274-5555" value="+16072745555" target="_blank" class="">607-274-5555</a>/Fax: <a href="tel:(607)%20274-5558" value="+16072745558" target="_blank" class="">607-274-5558</a><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class=""><a href="http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/" target="_blank" class="">www.tompkinscountyny.gov</a><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class=""><u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal">
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif" class="">Tompkins County values
<i class="">Inclusion Through Diversity</i>.<u class=""></u><u class=""></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u class=""></u> <u class=""></u></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt"><u class=""></u></p></div></div></div></div></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></body></html>