Ride Home Program Replaced
Pima County Guaranteed Ride Home Program Phase Out and
Replacement PAG Emergency Ride Home Program

Due to budgetary reasons, Pima County’s Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH) program is being phased out. However, alternate mode users can sign up for Pima Association of Government’s (PAG) GRH program and still have an emergency taxi ride if you need to leave work quickly and are without a vehicle.

What is the Guaranteed Ride Home Program?
The GRH allows employees freedom to leave their vehicles at home, while taking the bus, bicycling, walking or carpooling with others for their work commutes, knowing that they don’t need to depend on their vehicles if they need to leave work quickly for an emergency.

If you use an alternate mode of transportation at least twice a week, you are eligible for a free taxi ride home, or to your vehicle, or to your emergency destination. So, if you become ill during your work day, if the school calls you about your feverish child, if your boss asks you to work unscheduled overtime, or if another type of emergency arises and you don’t have your vehicle available, you can call the taxi company to get you where you need to go.

What do current Pima County voucher holders need to do?
If you have a Pima County taxi voucher, please write “VOID” on it and/or tear up/shred it, and recycle. Or if you feel more comfortable, you can interoffice mail it to Karen Wilhelmsen at PDEQ, 150 W. Congress St., Room 109, and it will be disposed of for you.

How do I sign up for the PAG GRH?
If you use an alternate mode of transportation for your commutes at least twice a week, you are eligible for PAG’s GRH program. Click on PAG’s website and register at: www.pagnet.org/Default.aspx?tabid=300. You can use up to four vouchers every 12 months, and must live and work in Pima County.

What if I have questions?
Contact PAG’s Sun Rideshare program at 884-RIDE (7433)
or
Pima County Travel Reduction Program
Department of Environmental Quality
Karen.Wilhelmsen@deq.pima.gov
740-3345

Finally, a very sincere THANK YOU for all of us who use alternate modes of transportation! We help keep the air clean and reduce greenhouse gasses! We make a difference!

Sun Tran Bus Fare Increases

On June 2, the City of Tucson Mayor and Council voted to approve a transit fare increase effective August 1, 2009. Pursuant to Pima County Administrative Procedure Number: 23-7, Pima County employees will still receive an $18 county subsidy for monthly bus passes, but the Sun Tran fare increase will result in the employees contribution increasing as shown below:

Note: You can use your regular monthly bus pass to ride on an express route, but you will have to deposit 25¢ in the fare box in addition to swiping the card.

This cost is still much less than driving your vehicle, especially when you add parking fees. And besides saving money, riding the bus also reduces air pollution and traffic congestion, and increases personal time where you can read, visit with bus buddies, knit, balance your checkbook, or use your iPod and cell phone without the stress of driving.

The Cost of Driving
The cost of driving is much, much more than merely the cost of fuel. The AAA has published a 2009 version of Your Driving Costs, a pamphlet explaining how much money it costs drivers to use their vehicles. They separate costs between operating and ownership expenses.

And then there are parking costs. If you work downtown and have to pay for parking, expect:

Unfortunately, the cost of driving goes well beyond our wallets. It is beyond the scope of this article to provide a complete list of effects from driving, but here are a few facts:

1. Tucsonans collectively drive about 27,000,000 miles per DAY(PAG)
2. Driving causes about 60% of the air pollution in Pima County (PAG)
3. For every 31 miles we drive, about one pound of pollution goes into the air (PAG)
4. A gallon of gasoline is assumed to produce over 19 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas causing global climate change (U.S. EPA)

The Cost of Bicycling
Pima County DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program provided information regarding the cost of using bicycles for commutes. Not including the expense of the bicycles themselves, but including maintenance, parts, tubes, electricity, and replacing the battery after 3-5 years, over a 10-year life span (and some can last many years beyond), bicycles will cost about:

Bicycling costs the least, and also has the least impact on air quality and greenhouse gasses, thus being the “greenest” form of transportation, aside from walking. And, of course, pedal power has a bonus benefit of improving/maintaining riders’ physical and mental health.

The PCDOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Program offers free bicycle safety classes for novice and experienced riders, commuters, and kids. www.dot.pima.gov/transsys/pimabikeped/allsafetyclasses.html.

Information about bike parking in the downtown area can be found in the June 2008 issue of the E-Scoop at www.pima.gov/escoop/archives/jun08/environews.htm#bike. Bike parking is free, or for $1 per pay period, bike lockers may be available.

Which Mode to Choose?
Now that we’ll have to pay more per month for our bus passes, do we still ride, do we drive, or do we try something different? Take a look at the numbers and see what makes cents for you.

Consider and compare finances. Consider the health and welfare costs to humans and the environment. Consider your transportation options -- some folks have more options than others – and do what you can to drive less. That will make cents.

Questions? Contact Karen.Wilhelmsen@deq.pima.gov.

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