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HOW MANY DAYS CAN YOU AVOID COMMUTING ALONE, DURING THE WEEKS OF July 20th – August 2nd?

Carpool - Find a partner, even for just 1 day a week, using our free service at www.OhioRideshare.org.

Bike To Work and To Do Errands - View or print a FREE county bike route map at www.noaca.org/bikemaps.html

Ride the Bus - Visit www.noaca.org/cc2008.html for all the regional transit links Walk - No additional equipment needed!

Telecommute (Work from Home) - First time? This is a good week to try it!

Compressed Work-Week - Work four 10-hour days and take a day off!

Please share your commute story at www.noaca.org/cc2008.html and we will calculate the emissions you saved as a region!

Commuter Challenge 2008 is brought to you by the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency’s Air Quality Programs, Rideshare Program, and Bicycle Planning. NOACA is a regional transportation and environmental planning agency. For more info call (216) 241-2414 ext. 252 or 373.

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All Aboard Ohio is working to establish more passenger rail options for Ohio, including the proposed Ohio Hub plan.

Email for more information.

Could it be that — after an astonishing run-up at the pump — the point at which oil prices “matter,” in terms of changing consumer behavior, has finally been reached? New York Times reporter Andy Revkin wonders after the Times reported that gas prices are fueling a nationwide increase in transit ridership.

The next challenge is for regions to prepare for transit boom times. How will regions around Denver and Cleveland, where the Cuyahoga County sales tax supporting our transit system has dipped, respond? In line with the national picture, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has reported an increase in ridership for the last five years, despite fare hikes and cut backs in bus service (to adjust for rising fuel costs).

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West Shore commuter rail planning meeting with speaker Donald J. Emerson, Principal Consultant, Parsons Brinckerhoff  speaking on "Economic, energy and environmental challenges to federal transportation policy."

Contact: Ken Prendergast at All Aboard Ohio, 216-288-4883.

More than 50 million people travel between Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati each year, mostly by car. This captive audience has inconvenient or expensive options to driving. Meanwhile, Ohio is in financial straits, and is looking for a way to stimulate its economy. Gov. Ted Strickland, seeing a connection between jobs, redeveloping Ohio’s cities and towns—and perhaps getting a handle on ODOT’s annual $3.8 billion budget on highways—approached Amtrak last week about a potential passenger rail line linking the state’s 3-C Corridor.

Ohio is the most populous state in the nation which does not yet have a service partnership with Amtrak. Its existing freight rail lines could be an untapped resource and passenger rail could be an engine for transit-oriented development. Advocates such as All Aboard Ohio see the ultimate goal of this effort is to encourage more economic growth in an energy efficient, environmentally friendly manner.

Read more.

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland asked Amtrak to investigate the potential ridership and costs of starting up fast, convenient and modern passenger rail service in Ohio's busiest and most populous travel corridor, non-profit rail advocates All Aboard Ohio announced on March 7, 2008.

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Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's 4th annual black-tie gala with special guest Don Plusquellic, Mayor of Akron. Special honors to Rep. Ralph Regula.

Call 1-800-468-4070 ext. 3099 for details. 

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4th Annual Rail/Transit Legislative Summit sponsored by All Aboard Ohio. This year's summit will be held in Columbus on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008.

Go here to see the agenda and to register.

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This year's summit will be held in Columbus on Wednesday, April 30th, 2008. Details about the event will be released shortly.

For more information, contact All Aboard Ohio director Andrew Bremer.