Calif. Promotes Ride Share Week

Los Angeles September 29 2005 - Reporters gathered Wednesday at The Grove to help launch the latest public service campaign promoting Rideshare Week, which begins Oct. 3, in an effort to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

The event was a visual demonstration designed to convey the benefits of ridesharing. At 11 a.m., traffic reporters Alan K. Ross of Clear Channel, and Scott Greene, Gail Bolin, and Natalie Paige of Metro Traffic rode in a plush commuter van provided by Enterprise, and piloted by a stunt driver, through a wall of 125 gas cans as a metaphor for the money that commuters would be able to put back into their pockets instead of the gas tank.

Event sponsors said a single person ridesharing one day each week for a year would save as much as 125 gallons of gas and $367 at today's gas prices. The event is part of the ongoing "Pick A Day, Any Day" consumer communication program.

"Pick A Day, Any Day" is a public awareness program sponsored by the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), which encourages commuters to pick a day each week to rideshare.

David Sutton with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority was the Emcee for the event.