Come on. Give it a try.

Whether it’s to improve your health, save money, or reduce your impact on the environment, there are a lot of great reasons to Give Transit a Try this May. All you have to do to receive your reduced-cost 30-day NFTA Metro Bus & Rail pass is register for the Give Transit a Try! program on GO Buffalo Niagara’s website.

In celebration of Clean Air Month, GO Buffalo Niagara is offering 30-day NFTA Metro Bus & Rail passes for just $35 (a $75 value) throughout the month of May! If you’re someone who typically drives to work, for errands, or other trips but you want to save money, reduce your environmental impact, and try a different way of getting around, this program is a great low-cost way to get started. By committing to replacing car trips with transit trips, you can help reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses released into our communities.

In NYS, transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, at 28% statewide emissions, or 51 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. Across the US, transportation is the leading cause of GHG emissions, at 27% of emissions in the US. But you might be wondering how our individual transportation choices could possibly have an impact on such large numbers. While switching from driving to taking the bus to work three days a week might not seem like much for one person, a collective shift in our mindset about how we get around can make a difference. When more people choose sustainable transportation, there are fewer cars on the road contributing to congestion. In addition to reducing the amount of pollution you create with a vehicle, you’re also helping to increase the efficiency of the system, which in turn reduces travel times andGHG emissions.

Additionally, more people walking, biking, and taking public transit can lead to more demand for infrastructure that supports those activities, like safer streets and sidewalks, designated bike lanes, and improved transit service frequency and reach. As an added bonus, reducing the number of cars that need to be stored in parking lots and ramps frees up land that can be used for other purposes, like housing, employment, services, and community space. When parking is converted into these other uses, it makes our communities more walkable, which in turn helps reduce the need to drive a car.

Because everyone’s transportation needs are unique, not everyone is able to give up their car entirely, or even at all. If you need to use a car, that’s okay! No need to feel guilty or ashamed. At the same time, it’s also important to acknowledge that many people in our region use sustainable transportation out of necessity, due to financial, health, or other reasons. But if you’re someone who has the flexibility to drive less, and walking, biking, public transit, and carpooling are convenient options for you, making the switch from driving alone to sustainable transportation (even if it’s not all the time) can be an incredibly rewarding experience. Walking and biking are both great for your physical and mental health, since your daily exercise is built right into how you get around. If public transit is more your style, skip the traffic and discover how much money you can save by eliminating parking and fuel expenses. If you do go all in on sustainable transportation and ditch your car entirely, you’ll find added savings from giving up maintenance and repairs, inspection and registration, and insurance.

Whether it’s to improve your health, save money, or reduce your impact on the environment, there are a lot of great reasons to Give Transit a Try this May. All you have to do to receive your reduced-cost 30-day NFTA Metro Bus & Rail pass is register for the Give Transit a Try! program on GO Buffalo Niagara’s website.