TravelSmart for good health

By Melanie Stewart

Did you make a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, increase your activity, or improve your health?  TravelSmart can help with that.  Turning your commute time into exercise time is a simple change that can improve your health and save you money.  Dr. Laurey Steinke proved this last year.

Maybe you have thought about using active transportation, but don’t feel that it works for you.  That could be the case, but TravelSmart has been designed to work for most.  It can seem weird to be without a car…what if I need to leave suddenly or became ill?  How will I make this work?  I know many of you have these concerns too, especially if you have children.  We took those concerns seriously in our planning.  So keep in mind:

• We offer a FREE emergency ride home. You call, a car comes and takes you where you need to go, 24/7.  This includes a free stop along the way…to pick up a prescription, a child, whatever you need.
• It’s FREE to participate in all options, including the free bus pass, and you can use more than one option. There’s no cost to you, no applying for reimbursement.
• You can keep your parking permit. You can give it up to save money, but it’s not required.  If you do, we provide flexible parking on the days you need to drive.
• Carpoolers park in the same lot (or better) that they already use, and neither carpooler pays for parking (FREE parking!).
• Don’t have a carpool partner? Try out our carpool matching program.  Check it out without making a commitment.
• Cyclists and walkers have FREE access to showers, lockers, and secure indoor bike parking.
• You don’t have to use TravelSmart every day; use it when it works for you.

Benefits:

• Save money on parking, gas, and vehicle maintenance
• Reduce stress by not having to worry about other drivers
• Use commuting time for actions of your choice (reading, homework, social media, etc.)
• Increase your physical activity; burn more calories and manage weight
• Reduce pollution in Omaha, including extremely hazardous ground level ozone; improving health for everyone in the area, helping to accomplish our mission
• Reduce traffic congestion around the med center; reduce parking pressure on campus

Did you know that 1,400 faculty, staff, and students have already registered for TravelSmart?  Those who signed up to use the bus took over 14,500 bus trips between August and December; way to go TravelSmarties!!

If you have more questions visit our FAQ page or Video/Resources page.

Thinking about giving it a try but not sure?  Email travelsmart@unmc.edu for help in planning a bus route, questions about the program, or giving it a “test drive” without signing up.