Fifth annual One Less Car Day returns Oct. 31

September 10, 2012

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida faculty, staff, and students can now register online for the fifth annual One Less Car Day, which has a Halloween theme this year.

The program, developed by UF’s Office of Sustainability, encourages Gators to be a part of the Sustainable UF movement by reducing their single-occupancy car trips and pledging to use alternative transportation on Oct. 31. The first 500 participants to register online at www.sustainable.ufl.edu/onelesscar will receive a free T-shirt.

The office will host an Alternative Transportation Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday on the Reitz Student Union Terrace. Students, staff and faculty will have the opportunity to learn about alternative modes from campus and community organizations, and there will be various games, activities, and giveaways.

Because this year’s One Less Car Day falls on Halloween, participants are asked to transform themselves and their commute. Participants are encouraged to upload photos of their costumes and alternative transportation methods to the Sustainable UF Facebook (www.facebook.com/sustainableUF) and Twitter (@SustainableUF) pages for a chance to win prizes.

UF has a goal of being carbon neutral by 2025, with transportation-related emissions accounting for roughly 10 percent of the university’s carbon footprint. Since 2008, nearly 4,500 people have participated in the One Less Car program, avoiding more than 100,000 trips and keeping more than 800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from entering the atmosphere.

For more information visit http://sustainable.ufl.edu/onelesscar.