Huge Participation Expected as Buffalo Niagara Region Gives Up Driving Alone on Earth Day

BUFFALO, N.Y., April 21  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In Buffalo, New York, the pressing question on Tuesday is not "where are you going?" but "how will you get there?"

On Earth Day, the Buffalo region will use less fuel and fewer vehicles, cut harmful vehicle emissions, reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and demonstrate its commitment to ongoing environmental stewardship. Pairing Earth Day celebrations with concrete action, commuters throughout the region will carpool, bike, walk, or take Metro bus or rail to get to their destinations.

Nearly 300 businesses, organizations, and schools representing 135,000 Western New Yorkers have signed on to the region's first-ever Buffalo Niagara Earth Day 2008 Initiative. Among the participants:  the famous Anchor Bar, birthplace of the chicken wing, where grease from making the wings is now being recycled and used as an ingredient in biodiesel.

"People are ready to take action in response to global warming and our many pressing environmental challenges, but we have to provide meaningful opportunities for them to try something new," said Kevin Neumaier, Senior Vice President of Sustainability for Ecology and Environment, Inc., headquartered in the Buffalo area.  When asked to compare this initiative to Earth Hour, Mr. Neumaier responded, "Both are great programs to raise awareness about things we can do every day.  This targets transportation, which accounts for about a third of our carbon emissions."

Commuters in the Buffalo area will have access to a novel online software program developed by Ecology and Environment, Inc., and operated by the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council.  The program, called Good Going (http://www.goodgoingwny.com/), is free to residents in Erie and Niagara counties, and helps find carpool partners and identify public transportation opportunities that fit commuters preferences and patterns.  With high and rising fuel prices, alternatives to driving alone are beginning to seem a lot more appealing, and those who avoid the one car-one person pattern are quick to point out the environmental benefit.

The initiative will culminate in a ceremony at noon at City Hall in downtown Buffalo. Speakers include Mayor Byron Brown, Erie County Executive Chris Collins, NFTA Commissioner Eunice Lewin, and representatives from companies and organizations undertaking other novel environmental initiatives.

This campaign, spearheaded by Lancaster-based environmental consulting firm, Ecology and Environment, Inc., (E & E), is aimed at raising awareness locally of issues associated with global warming.  E & E has partnered with the NFTA, the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council, Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, UB Green, New Era Cap Co., the Buffalo Bisons, Wegmans, the City of Buffalo, Erie County, Erie Community College, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, World Trade Center Buffalo Niagara, Buffalo Blue Bicycle, and Buffalo Niagara Human Resource Association to organize this event to demonstrate Western New York's commitment to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of garnering some positive national attention for the region.

For more information on carpooling and to find a carpool match-both on Earth Day and beforehand-visit the Greater Buffalo-Niagara Regional Transportation Council's website, http://www.goodgoingwny.com/. 

DATASOURCE: Ecology and Environment, Inc.



CONTACT:  Kevin S. Neumaier, P.E., Senior Vice President, Sustainability

of Ecology and Environment, Inc., [phone], 



Web site:  http://www.ene.com/

http://www.goodgoingwny.com/ 

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