McMaster celebrates World Car Free Day

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/wcfd.jpg” caption=”Participants at World Car Free Day”]

Joanne Franco does it. Sandra Etherington does it. Marlene Monster does it.
Ken and Alison Sills do it, sometimes even together.

These McMaster employees, five of more than one hundred people nominated as
campus “Commuter Heroes”, leave their car at home and bus or bike
to the University. In fact, a number of them don’t even own a vehicle.
And they think maybe you can do it too.

The message is particularly timely given that today, Wednesday, Sept. 22, is
World Car Free Day, a global celebration of alternatives to driving. Walking,
taking transit and cycling are active, sustainable modes of transportation that
put people in touch with their neighbours (literally, if you’re on a Mac-bound
HSR bus at 8:15 a.m., but we’re working on increasing McMaster service).

Franco, a life-long transit-rider, sees taking the HSR
to work as a budget-conscious choice. “I have traveled all over the world
with the money that I would have spent on car payments, gas, parking, maintenance/repairs
and car insurance”, she acknowledged. Sandra, who doesn’t have a
driver’s license due to her years living in Toronto, takes the bus to
Mac from downtown. She enthused about the convenience of the transit trip, stating
“the door to door service is beautiful. Many of my co-workers have a long
chilly walk from the parking lot but I’m dropped off a lot closer to where
I’m going”.

Marlene, who deliberately searched for a home within biking distance of the
University, loves her cycle commute, especially on her new bike from MACycle
Co-op. “Biking is the best for being outside, sitting down, and getting
your daily exercise all at the same time”, she joked. She even shops for
her groceries on her lunch hour, buying only what she can conveniently carry
on her bike.

Ken, once an avid cycle-commuter, now takes the bus to and from Mac, a commitment
to public transportation which requires trips to drop off and pick up children
at school and daycare. “We find that using it has made us much more aware
of what downtown has to offer”, Ken explained. “We now do much of
our shopping in the downtown, instead of going off to the Meadowlands”.

McMaster’s Car Free celebrations, which reach a fevered pitch today,
center around the Car Free tent outside Gilmour Hall. Activities include free
bike repair (12 noon to 2 p.m.), a cycling challenge for beginner bikers (15
minute sessions between 12 noon and 2 p.m., some bikes and helmets available
for loan), quadracycle rides ‘round campus (between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.)
a transportation trivia game, complete with cool prizes (2 p.m.), a draw for
one of 10 pedometers (value $40) and Security Services’ Annual Bike Auction
and engraving service (12 noon with previews from 11 a.m.)

Back by popular demand is our discounted bus pass program. Starting on Car
Free Day staff and faculty working at any of McMaster’s campuses can receive
20 per cent off the cost of an October HSR pass. Passes can be purchased at
Compass Information Centre in MUSC. Employees must show ID.

Hamilton is hosting a number of exciting Car Free activities this week, including
a bike drive-in movie Thursday, Sept. 23 at Gage Park.

For more information on McMaster activities, visit http://ACT.mcmaster.ca.
Information on events around Hamilton can be found at http://www.hwcn.org/link/tlc/cfd2004.html.