6 Greener Ways to Get Around Town Posted by Sacha Cohen

6 Greener Ways to Get Around Town
Posted by Sacha Cohen under transportation | Tags: circulator bus, coach rider, envirocab, EnviroRide, google map, green transportation, smartbike, walkable city, wmata |


Smartbike DC
Sometimes taking out the old clunker is unavoidable, like when you need to stock up on super-sized packages of toilet paper at Costco. Most of the time, however, there are loads of other more eco-friendly ways to get around town. Here are are a few:

1. Hoof It. According to the Brookings Institute, DC is one of the most walkable cities in the country. Strap on a pair of sneakers, load up the SIGG bottle, and you can get from Columbia Heights to Dupont in 20 minutes or less (I’ve done it). Google Maps will tell you exactly how far it is from point A to point B, and everything in between. Not sure where to go? Try a walking tour with DC By Foot.

2. Hop on the Bus. My memory of riding the bus when I was a kid included cranky drivers and being crammed into a space so hot you could nearly fry an egg on the seats (why anyone would want to is another story). Well, not much has changed except the buses now take SmarTrip cards so you don’t have to fish around for change or a crumpled transfer and most are air-conditioned. The drivers, I’m happy to report, have not lost their edge.

3. Circulate. The hipper, shinier cousin of the WMATA bus, the DC Circulator is, as the website says, a cheap date at just $1 a ride. Sure, the route is limited but it covers Georgetown, Adams Morgan, the Smithsonian, Union Station, the Convention Center, SW Waterfront, and Capitol Hill. Plus, a new mobile app provides real-time info on your bus’s whereabouts.

4. Rent-a-Bike. You’re no Lance Armstrong, but occasionally you like to feel the wind in your hair and your feet on the pedals. Enter SmartBike, America’s first self-service public bike rental program. There are currently 10 rental spots around the city including in Foggy Bottom, Shaw, Dupont Circle, and Logan Circle. A $40 annual subscription entitles you to bike usage within a 24-hour period.

5. Pimp Your Ride. The recently launched CoachRider bills itself as an “earth-friendly private driving service” complete with a fleet of hybrid sedans. The company offers several subscription options from three to 10 hours per month.

Enviroride also features hybrid luxury cars so you can get to the airport or a special event in eco-friendly style.

6. Hail a Greener Taxi. You’ll probably still need to interrupt your driver’s animated cell phone conversation to give him directions to your destination, but at least with enviroCAB you’ll be secure knowing that you just rode in a taxi with 60% less emissions than your standard Arlington taxicab.

Welcome, Anti-Washington Freshmen! - CBS News

It may have been difficult for the new class of Representatives-elect, who ran on an anti-D.C. platform, to see what's so bad about Washington as they landed today at Reagan National Airport for freshman orientation this week.

The sun was shining, the Potomac River sparkled, and the leaves on the trees displayed a beautiful range of fall colors.

Each Member-to-be received the royal treatment immediately upon their arrival.

They were greeted and escorted to baggage claim by a member of the U.S. Marines and then chauffered to a D.C. hotel in black SUVs from Enviroride (an "Eco-friendly Limousine and Sedan Service," according to the vehicles' painted side panels).

Some with more name recognition, like Republican Kristi Noem of South Dakota (who is expected to run for a newly-created freshman leadership post), were greeted by a swarm of reporters and camera crews wanting to follow her every move, paparazzi-style.

So many reporters, in fact, that Noem (who's been compared to Sarah Palin) ended up holding an impromptu press conference right off of baggage claim. She talked about the new leadership position while her husband looked for their luggage.

"It's a good indication that leadership is willing to listen to this freshmen class," Noem said. "It is a unique class with a lot of members and a lot of new ideas and a lot of small business owners. People who've been involved in business might have some solutions for getting this economy back on track."

Others didn't attract, or seek, the spotlight. Republican Austin Scott of Georgia was able to slip away almost unnoticed.

"Got to get to work on jobs and the economy," Scott said before quickly ducking into his SUV.

Meanwhile, Representative-elect Tim Scott from South Carolina arrived early Sunday without the pomp and circumstance, having traveled to Washington a week ago to be part of the GOP transition team. With a smile and a wave, Scott slipped through the crowd at the airport like a politician with somewhere important to be.

And today is just Day One of a busy week for nearly 100 incoming freshmen.

After attending a slew of receptions today to welcome the new Members to town, they get down and dirty tomorrow for Congress 101, where they will learn how to hire their staffs and find district offices.

On Tuesday, it's the freshmen class picture, followed by a lesson in parliamentary procedure on the House floor.

They get to cast their first votes for party leadership and rules on Wednesday and Thursday.

And it all ends Friday, when Members participate in an all-day office lottery. This is important. Getting first pick means a spacious office in a prime location.

Picking last means they could end up in a cage-like office on a floor without an elevator.

Then it's back to their districts . . . and back to the airport, to start preparing for January 5th, when the job (and all its responsibilities) becomes a reality.

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Jill Jackson is a CBS News Capitol Hill Producer. You can read more of her posts in Hotsheet here. You can also follow her on Twitter.

EnviroRide Steps in Washington D.C.

We are a team of individuals passionate about solving problems and doing our part to make the world a better place. We care about green living, renewable energy, consumer safety and practices that produce tangible environmental results. In the beginning of 2007 we came together to act on our beliefs with the launch of a company that helps people live healthier, and sustain an eco-friendly lifestyle in harmony with our planet. We are starting with EnviroRide: environmentally responsible personal transportation in Washington DC Metro area. In time the entire EnviroRide fleet will be fueled by alternative fuel with the first cars using emission-reducing and electric hybrid technology. As other options emerge we will assess each one and add them to fit our company's profile. We intend to earn an honest living by providing business travelers with prompt, professional transportation in meticulously maintained vehicles with courteous drivers. At the same time, we intend to use EnviroRide as an independent fundraising engine by redirecting a portion of the profits to organizations and programs supporting environmental protection, fight against global warming, and sustainable living. Part of our goal is to demonstrate how responsible corporations can achieve commercial success while protecting the environment and consumers. We believe we can create a better future while still making a profit. We will do this by operating a commercially viable business that respects future generations and consumers who ultimately support such operations. The EnviroRide team possesses a wealth of business know-how combined with service industry knowledge. The staff is dedicated to understanding the needs of transportation customers, and delivering reliable service to address their diverse requirements.

EnviroRide Brings Eco-Luxury Car Service to DC Area Business Commuters
Fleet of Hybrid-Only Toyota Camry and “Blue Tec” Mercedes Vehicles to serve “companies with a conscience”
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 6, 2008) - EnviroRide, a luxury car service committed to providing reliable transportation implementing the latest Eco-technology announced today that is has launched its service in the Washington, DC/Baltimore/Northern Virginia metropolitan areas. EnviroRide is the first Washington DC area car service publicly committed to only using hybrid and emission-reducing cars. The fleet consists of Toyota Camry Hybrid and Mercedes BlueTec vehicles. By featuring only green cars with a goal to protect and preserve the planet, EnviroRide hopes to take less from the environment and give more to its clients.
Luxury sedans, limousines, and taxicabs are large fuel consumers, and they can be a large contributor to auto emissions in an urban environment like Washington, DC and Baltimore. Enviro-friendly luxury sedan and limousine services are emerging as the business travel choice of eco-conscious businesses and professionals, signaling a move that city and state leaders around the country hope will be the beginning of green-only transportation fleets.
Many jurisdictions around the country have passed legislation to encourage livery service providers to switch over from gas-powered vehicles to hybrid cars. More than 300 hybrid taxis have gone into service in New York and San Francisco since late 2005.
With the country’s increasing awareness and acceptance of energy-efficient vehicles, and corporate America’s growing aspiration to minimize its carbon footprint, the huge black car and limousine industry in DC and surrounding jurisdictions represents the next, most obvious opportunity to reduce carbon emissions.
“There has been a lot of discussion that green companies are not economically viable," says Mariana Gerzanych, Strategic Director of EnviroRide, “part of our goal is to demonstrate how responsible corporations can achieve commercial success while protecting the environment and consumers.”
Punctual cars, driven by courteous drives that know where they’re going, is what EnviroRide provides along with hybrid vehicles and rates that are competitive with traditional luxury car services. To arrange an individual trip or open a corporate account, you can visit EnviroRide at www.EnviroRide.net
About EnviroRideEnviroRide is an eco-friendly, luxury car service serving corporate accounts and individual clients in the Washington, DC/Baltimore/Northern Virginia metropolitan areas. The company's fleet of hybrid-only and emission-reducing, standard and luxury, vehicles provides dependable transportation service to environmentally conscious individuals. For more information, please visit www.enviroride.net