A Call to Conscious Evolution:

Promote public transportation... see some facst about Vermont. Even in Vermont where almost 80% of our land is forest , our average temperature increase of 1.5 degrees since 1970 has ushered in a prediction of 90o weather on more than half of July days. Winters have warmed 4o since 1970 ; average snowfall has decreased by 8.8 inches . Alarming our ski economy, ski days are projected to be 27 days per winter by the end of this century . Vermontís largest industry is tourism ; it provides 27% of the Stateís revenue , the highest percentage in the United States . Cool-weather crops will be threatened, as invasive pests and weeds spread north, creating challenges in new pesticide use . What kind of Vermont will we leave our children? Every car we can get off the road saves gas and CO2. For every 5 riders, we save a net a savings of 3,000 gallons of gas and 33 net tons of CO2. The Commuter Collaborative will expand the current commuter program, which now: ï keeps 104 cars off the road a day, ï provides a 51% net reduction in carbon dioxide of 260 tons a year, and ï produces a net fuel savings of 30,019 gallons a year. In addition, because of the unique combination of job pay scales and affordable housing in this area, families will be directly benefited, as follows. Better jobs. Springfield, Vermontís unemployment rate is 3x higher that that of the Upper Valley (the tri-city area of White River Junction, VT, and Hanover/Lebanon, NH). But when residents consider looking for jobs in other towns, they are deterred by the cost of driving there. Driving from Springfield to Hanover, for example, costs $236 a month JUST in gas; figuring mileage at $.505 a mile , taking the bus saves an employee $753 a month. Thatís a house payment in Vermont! So public transit makes working in the Upper Valley not only feasible but very attractive. Compared to Southern Windsor Countyís struggle to replace the 771 jobs that were lost between 2000 and 2002 , the number of jobs in Hanover has increased by 77% since April, 2006 . Springfield jobs pay an average of $25,586 as compared to Brattleboroís average of 9% more: $27,789 ; the average in Hanover, NH, is almost double: $46,174 . Employees gain 1/2-1 hour of time at both ends of their workdays when they can sleep, read, work or just relax. Where else can you save both time and money? Affordable housing. Upper Valley families will find a housing surplus in Springfield at lower prices. A home in Springfield will save a family $792 a month in mortgage payments compared to a home in the Upper Valley, based on median costs in both areas . With mileage costs, or even just gas today, an employee might not think that commuting is worth the mortgage savings; however, taking the bus makes the savings feasible. All these benefits will be self-sustaining environmentally, socially and economically. Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for 100 years , so every ton of CO2 we can reduce will have long-lasting effects; we also will be reducing the over-consumption of gasoline. Will people continue to ride? Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior; we have enjoyed 14-25% growth in our region, compared to 1-2% annual growth rate in bus ridership nationally . Economically, Vermonters will prosper with better jobs and affordable housing. This is sustainable stewardship.