I am A Student

As a student, there are many reasons to be interested in clean transportation technologies and options. The best part is that some options require little to no upfront costs. So why should you be interested in clean transportation?

• K-8: Emissions from cars and trucks lead to harmful contaminants in the air like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter. Reducing these types of emissions can help both you and the planet breathe easier. One way to help reduce these types of emissions is to convince your school to implement an idle reduction policy. Another way to reduce these types of emissions is to walk, bike or take the bus to school instead of having your parents drop you off.
• High School/College Students: Clean transportation options can actually help save you money. Instead of paying for gasoline and a parking pass to drive your personal vehicle to class everyday, consider other options like riding the bus or a bike. In many cases, bus service for college and high school students near or on campus is free. If you may be interested in biking to class, find out what transit or greenway options are available near you by clicking the icon below.

Taking half of your trips by bus instead of driving can prevent about 4900 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. That's the equivalent of charging 283,453 smart phones.

I am A Working Professional

Horns honking, overheating engine, lines of cars backed up on the interstate waiting to get to and from work.  Do all of these sound familiar to you?  The average U.S. commuter spends around 42 hours a year in traffic.  In 2014, the U.S. collectively wasted more than 3 billion gallons of fuel while stuck in traffic .  Fortunately, there are other options to help you save both time and money.  In many cases, you can skip the traffic and save money on gas by taking the bus or bike to work. If transit or biking to work doesn’t fit your lifestyle, consider joining a car or van pool. Reduce emissions, save money on gas, and reduce your stress. To find out what transit, greenway, or carpooling options are available near you, click the icons below.

Commuters taking public transit instead of driving their personal vehicle save on average about $10,000 a year.

I am Concerned About Health

As someone interested in environmental health, personal health, or both, clean transportation options can help to improve the quality of life for not only you but everyone around you as well. Many of the alternatives highlighted in this section lead to more active and healthy lifestyles while also reducing the amount of pollutants emitted by the transportation sector.

• Personal Health: Over 2,000,000 North Carolinians suffer from diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular disease aggravated by poor air quality. This number does not include the elderly and infant population that are more adversely affected by poor air quality. In urban areas pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and particulate matter from transportation are the primary contributors to this poor air quality. Clean transportation options such as biking, riding transit, and driving electric vehicles can help to improve the air quality in areas of high congestion.Aside from the air quality benefits, transportation options like biking and walking also provide other health benefits. These benefits include decreased risk of heart disease, improved metabolism, increased lifespan, and improved immune system .
• Environmental Health: In 2014, the transportation sector accounted for 26% of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it only second to the electricity production sector . On an individual level, every gallon of gasoline burned during transportation produces 19 pounds of carbon dioxide . To put that in perspective, taking one passenger car off the road for one year is the equivalent to planting 115 trees (Based on 12,000 miles/year, 24 mpg ). Fortunately, there are clean transportation options and practices to help us reduce our transportation related emissions and improve air quality in our communities. Options and practices such as efficient driving behaviors, biking, transit, electric vehicles, carpooling, and biofuels can help us all achieve our goal of improving environmental health.

On Average, users of the light rail transit system in Charlotte lost 6.5 pounds due to increased walking to and from stations!

I am Interested in Economic Development

The Clean Transportation industry in North Carolina provides local economic benefits from the bottom-line of small businesses using alternative fuels all the way up to the tax revenues and jobs generated from businesses producing the fuels and equipment for these fleets. The Clean fuels sector (electric, propane, natural gas, biofuels) is a $220 million industry in the state of North Carolina . Numbers like these prove that clean transportation technologies are here to stay in the state of North Carolina.

To see the clean transportation companies making investments in North Carolina, visit our Clean Transportation Buyers Book. To see fleets in the state using alternative fuels visit our Alternative Fuels User Database.

North Carolina is home to some of the biggest companies in the clean transportation market like Alliance Autogas and Thomas Built Buses.