News from New York State Office of General Services

For more information contact: Brad Maione, Public Affairs Office, 518-474-5987, http://www.ogs.state.ny.us

State Employees Urged to Carpool and Save

OGS Carpool Program Targets Reducing Greenhouse Gases

ALBANY, NY (04/01/2008; 1333)(readMedia)-- ATTENTION RADIO NEWS ROOMS: An audio cut from Commissioner Egan is available by clicking the attached mp3 file.

New York State Office of General Services (OGS) Commissioner John C. Egan today announced modifications to its carpooling program that will make it easier and more affordable for Albany-based state employees to improve the region’s air quality, save fuel and reduce the cost of their daily commute.

The program, managed by OGS Parking Services, offers state employees commuting to locations such as the Empire State Plaza, the Alfred E. Smith Building, the Department of Education and other downtown buildings reduced-price carpooling parking permits at six convenient locations:

• Empire State Plaza Garage
• East Parking Garage and Roof
• Sheridan Hollow Garage and Roof
• McCarty Avenue
• 100 Broadway
• Water Street

“This program is a win-win,” said Commissioner Egan. “At a time when we see gasoline prices climbing on a weekly basis, and in an era during which we all have a heightened sense of concern for the impact our daily habits have on the environment, we can all get behind a program that improves the quality of the air our families breathe and removes unnecessary vehicles from our roadways.”

A financial analysis speaks to the merits of carpooling as a viable and efficient way to get to work. Each day thousands of local commuters traveling from residential communities located in Greene, Saratoga, Schenectady, and Rensselaer counties routinely complete a round-trip of more than 30 miles. With gas at the current market price of $3.40 per gallon, and assuming a fuel economy of 20 miles per gallon, an individual commuter will incur annual fuel costs of more than $1,500.

Carpooling also can significantly reduce the production of greenhouse gases and air pollutants. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one gallon of gasoline is assumed to produce 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2). EPA has calculated that if 1,000 people participated in a carpool, containing two people each, averaging a daily round-trip of 20 miles (approximately 10,000 miles annually) the environmental impact of greenhouse gases and pollutants would be reduced by 77 pounds of hydrocarbons, 550 pounds of carbon monoxide, 33 pounds of nitrogen oxide and 9,900 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Applications are available at www.ogs.state.ny.us.

OGS parking staff will be available Wednesday, April 2, at the Empire State Plaza Concourse bus turnaround; on Thursday, April 3, in the lobby of the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building; and on Friday, April 4, at the Department of Education to answer questions about the program.

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Attachments

CarpoolAndSave.mp3