Redefine Travel: Kicking Gas Through Smarter Living

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Treehugger regularly gets excited about the latest developments in greener cars and other transport options. Yet while the Tesla, the Plug-in Prius, the Vectrix, or the G-Whiz may well prove to be useful tools in reaching a more sustainable future, we should not forget that the easiest option, in many cases, is to design your life in a way that reduces dependence on the car. This is why we are so encouraged by Redefine Travel, a campaign designed ‘by students, for students’ in the Triangle area of North Carolina to increase awareness, and use, of alternative transport options like biking, busing or carpooling. Not only does the site include handy tips for road safety, and for using the local bus system, but it also includes maps and links to the local transit authority’s trip planner. And it doesn’t end there, Redefine Travel even includes a handy apartment finder, encouraging students to factor in transport considerations when choosing their accommodation. The tag line? “Does Your Apartment Kick Gas?”

Ultimately, the more people are encouraged to think about transport, and travel options, when making big choices like where to live, the more developers, town planners, and businesses will start demanding decent transit links. For more thoughts on how to cut your transport-related oil habit, see our posts on reducing car dependence, on thinking ‘mobility’ instead of vehicle, our pick of car sharing services, or our guide to greening your public transportation. Or why not try telecommuting, or think about how to encourage walkable communities or One Planet Living? So while we may still get excited by the Tesla, we get really excited about a world where the Tesla becomes less necessary.