Workshop on money-saving transportation choices set for May 16
Sarasota County staff and the Florida Department of Transportation’s District One Commuter Services Program are teaming up to help area businesses secure and provide money-saving transportation choices for their employees by offering a free brown-bag workshop on May 16, the county has announced.
Green Your Commute is set from noon to 1 p.m. at the Sarasota County Administration Center, located at 1660 Ringling Blvd. in downtown Sarasota. It “will provide business representatives and their workers with tools that can cut transportation costs,” a county news release says. Experts will discuss a broad range of alternatives to traditional commuting, including bicycling, buses, carpooling and electric vehicle use, the release notes.
In Sarasota County, 81 percent of commuters drive alone to work, spending an average time of 22 minutes each way in their vehicles, the release adds. “Decreasing that percentage will help drivers save money and reduce traffic congestion and air pollution for the whole community,” the release points out.
Scheduled to help promote awareness and activities around Bike to Work Week — which runs May 16-20 this year — the workshop is free and open to the public. “Register early at Eventbrite.com (http://bit.ly/23BiBG1) to reserve your spot and receive notice of any changes,” the release says. “Bring your lunch; beverages will be provided.”
Attendees representing a business will receive a free Business Resource Conservation Kit (one per business), valued at $35, the release notes. Each kit contains energy- and water-conserving devices such as an LED light bulb, a smart power strip and a faucet aerator, the release adds.
This class will be the first in the Green Your Business series, aimed at helping businesses identify cost-saving options to improve sustainability in their operations, the release explains.