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Contact:
Mary Chalupsky
203-388-4418
[email protected]
Employers Urged to �Race to the Finish� for Earth Day
Area Businesses, Commuters Team to Save the Environment - Share rides to reduce congestion, pollution, greenhouse gases – and save money too!
March 10, 2008 – NuRide today announced that Cartus, Pitney Bowes, IBM, UBS, PepsiCo, Inc., Health Net, County of Rockland, The City of Stamford, Reckson, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and other major area employers have joined the Earth Day ‘Race to the Finish’ to help improve air quality and save the environment this year.
The Earth Day ‘Race to the Finish’ is the final leg of the NuRide Tri-State 5,000,000 Mile Rideshare Challenge issued last year to encourage employers, commuters and sponsors to help reduce drive-alone commuting, cut congestion and improve air quality. When the Challenge is met, commuters will have shared 130,000 rides, resulting in a reduction of 2,100 tons of auto emissions and 200,000 fewer gallons of gas used.
Many employers and commuters took the Challenge and began sharing rides, but those who join now can ensure that the goal is met or exceeded by Earth Day, April 22, 2008. Commuters can participate in the Race to the Finish by joining NuRide (www.nuride.com), the online ridesharing community in which commuters can earn points for every ride taken and confirmed. The points can be redeemed for rewards from sponsoring organizations.
NuRide also is urging employers—businesses, government organizations, civic groups, and colleges—to compete against each other in several categories, including: number of new employee enrollments in NuRide, total number of participants per employer and ridesharing trips. To build excitement, race results will be continually updated on the NuRide web site, so each organization can track its progress.
To whet employers’ appetites for the Race, NuRide also is offering special incentives for commuters. Commuters in the lower Hudson Valley who join NuRide can now receive a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card and current members who refer friends receive a $10 Subway gift certificate. The Subway offer is also available to commuters in Fairfield County.
“When it comes to eliminating automobile emissions and reducing the carbon footprint, every effort counts,” said John Lyons, president of MetroPool, Inc. “What’s great about ridesharing is that everyone can participate – just by sharing rides to work, to the mall or any other kind of trip. This Earth Day Challenge lets everyone in on our global effort to reduce greenhouse gases. Everyone matters. Every trip reduced counts. Everyone wins.”
He noted that every ridesharing mile by an employee will be tracked as part of the challenge, giving businesses everywhere a chance to pull together in a spirit of camaraderie to help save the environment.
“The end of the race is now in sight,” he challenged. “It’s never been easier for businesses and employees to get going and go green. The ‘Race to the Finish’ starts now.”
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About MetroPool
MetroPool - the area’s leading commuting solutions company – administers NuRide in Fairfield County and the lower Hudson Valley. Since 1980, MetroPool has provided employers and commuters with free services to encourage transportation options –car/vanpooling, walking/biking, bus/train travel, compressed work weeks/flex hours, and pre-tax commuter benefits. With the support of the New York State Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Department of Transportation, MetroPool’s services are available to commuters traveling to destinations in Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam, Dutchess, and Ulster Counties in New York, and Fairfield County in Connecticut. For more information, call 1-800-FIND-RIDE (1-800-346-3743) or visit www.metropool.com.
About NuRide, Inc.
NuRide was founded on the belief that individuals who share rides provide a valuable service to their community and should be rewarded for their efforts. With NuRide, individuals can easily arrange ridesharing trips and earn rewards for every confirmed trip they take. Members accumulate points that can be used toward a variety of rewards that are made possible by sponsors. For more information on NuRide and the “Earth Day Race to the Finish” event, please visit www.nuride.com. NuRide is supported by the New York State Department of Transportation and the Connecticut Department of Transportation.
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