Explore Your Travel Options

Metro Transit

If you’re looking for ways to leave your car at home and reduce your carbon footprint, Metro Transit can help you pick the best option to get you moving.

Metro Transit has a variety of tools at metrotransit.org to get you started. One example is the Trip Planner which helps find the transit route that fits your needs. For instance, you can enter in a starting point, an end point destination and time of travel, and the Trip Planner will give you route options, fare information, and links to maps.

In addition, the NexTrip tool can help plan your trip down to the minute. You can access NexTrip on your computer, mobile device, or phone (612-373-3333). Just choose your route, direction, and nearest stop while NexTrip, using satellite bus-tracking technology, provides real-time departure information for trips within 20Â minutes and scheduled trips thereafter.

Consider these options to help you drive less:

Rideshare

If you want to carpool or vanpool, Metro Transit can help match you with other commuters. We maintain an online list of more than 9,000 commuters-if there isn’t a match at first, check back often since potential carpoolers are added every day. Creating an account with our online Carpool/Vanpool Planner is easy. Get started by clicking the Rideshare icon at metrotransit.org.

Bicycling

Twin Cities residents like to bike! Our region has thousands of bicycle commuters who bicycle year-round. It’s easy to combine bicycling and transit-all Metro Transit buses and trains have free bicycle racks.

Metro Transit also provides bicycle locker rental at sites throughout the Twin Cities. For just $4 per month plus a deposit, you can have weatherproof storage for your bike and gear.

Click the bicycling icon at metrotransit.org for resources on bicycle commuting, safety tips as well as the Bike2Benefits program, which allows you to track your commutes, CO₂, and cost savings. Sign up and be eligible to win prizes for committing to bicycling.

Vanpooling

We can help commuters set up vanpools and lease vehicles which saves money on gas as well as emissions. The vanpools carry between five and 15 commuters. The larger the group, the bigger the savings. Get started by clicking the Rideshare icon at metrotransit.org or calling 612-373-3333, option 4.

Guaranteed Ride Home

Commuters who ride the bus or train, carpool, vanpool, bicycle or walk at least three days a week to work or school are eligible for this free perk. All you neezd to do is register!

The Guaranteed Ride Home program ensures that you have a ride if you need it-for example, if you have a family issue or need to work unexpected hours, the Guaranteed Ride Home program can help.

We’ll come to you

If your company, organization or school wants to expand its commuter programs, we can help! Our employer outreach specialists can present details on smart alternatives, whether it’s carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus or train, bicycling or walking. Contact us at metrotransit.org or email employerprograms@metc.state.mn.us or call 612-373-7545.

No matter which transportation alternative you choose, you’ll save money by filling up less often, reduce your stress of driving on congested roads, and help cut down on greenhouse gas emissions.â€¯

Travel Options

Green Tips

Support Strong Towns

The automobile era spurred the expansion of highways and the fragmentation of natural habitats and communities. Now, the suburban American lifestyle had led to an obesity epidemic, high levels of resource consumption, and oil dependency. Strong Towns is a nonprofit that helps cities focus on resiliency instead of growth. Find out more.

Keep Learning

Minnesota is a national leader in environmental education and offers a number of resources to help you stay on top of the latest information. This article offers brief descriptions of some of Minnesota’s key environmental education programs, publications and organizations.

Recycle Your Paper Products

Most people don’t realize it, but one way to reduce global warming is to recycle paper products. Recycling one ton of paper saves 17 trees. Each tree helps reduce global warming by capturing and holding carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. Remember your bottles and cans, too—any recycling you do means fewer of the Earth’s raw materials are used. Learn more here.

Take Easy Steps to Save Energy at Home

The average Minnesota family spends over $4,000 on energy (includes natural gas, electricity and gasoline) and produces over 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per year. Here are some easy ways to save energy:

Turn off lights and electronics (TVs, radios, computers) when leaving a room. This can help your family avoid producing 298 pounds of carbon dioxide over the course of the year.
Be mindful of your heat and central air. Turning your furnace thermostat down just two degrees in the winter saves $53/year and prevents 569 pounds of CO₂, and you won’t even notice the change.
Unplug electronics and appliances while not in use, like cell phone chargers, video game consoles, and microwaves. Anything with a clock, remote or LED light is using energy all the time, even if it’s turned off. Power strips are a quick fix—and you can save $14/year.

Check out our Personal Energy Checklist for more great ideas!

Check Out This Template for Action

Scientists say a global warming “tipping point” in the Arctic seems to be happening before their eyes. Sea ice in the Arctic Ocean is at its second lowest level in about 30 years. These news flashes are just some of our climate’s changes happening daily. You and your kids can help. Read more here, and then check out Climate Generations’s Take Action! Guide, which offers hands-on activities for grades 3-12.

Check Windows and Doors for Energy Efficiency

Here are some easy tips for Home Energy Savings:

Leaky windows, doors and frames can let out the air you paid to heat or cool. Once a year, check the caulking around your windows, doors and joints to make sure everything is sealed tightly.
Install weather stripping around any leaky windows and doors.
If you use storm windows, check them each winter to be sure they provide a good seal and are not cracked.
If you have only single glaze windows, you can purchase do-it-yourself plastic storms that just tape into place.
If you use window air conditioners, take them out for the winter. If they are attached to the wall or too big to move, make sure they are well-covered with insulating material to avoid leaking a lot of your warm air.
If you have a fireplace, install a glass door that reduces hot air loss.

Contact Your State Legislator

As a constituent, you are your local legislators’ highest priority. Why not share your views with them and ask them to support your position? It may seem like your letters and emails will get lost in a deep, dark political hole, but don’t despair. Whether you call, fax, email or visit in person, this article offers tips on how to effectively communicate with your elected officials and get them to listen.

Start a Recycling Program at Work

If your office doesn’t have a recycling program, consider being a catalyst for big change by starting one yourself. See our full list of tips on how to get started (including identifying a Recycling Coordinator and selecting a Recycling Company) in our article, Green Your Office.

Get Your Mayor Involved

More than 600 cities nationwide are not waiting for federal action on climate change—they are taking matters into their own hands. The U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement is one way cities are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and urging government to take action. Read more about the agreement here, plus learn what Minnesota’s government is doing about global warming.

Support a Local Business

Did you know that roughly 73 cents of every dollar spent at a local business stays within the community, compared to 43 cents for non-local chain stores? When you buy from local businesses, you help that business employ community workers, support other local businesses, and contribute to the community’s overall health. Read more here about the benefits of buying locally.

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