Since 1970, Earth Day has raised awareness of environmental issues and promoted ways to protect the planet. Our department created numerous goals to impact sustainability in Durham, from increasing the zero-emissions bus fleet to developing the Way to Go Durham program to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and carbon emissions through Transportation Demand Management (TDM). We encourage you to suSTAIN Your Commute this Earth Day, April 22, 2025, by painting your commute plan with our TDM Tips.
What is TDM:
Transportation Demand Management (TDM) is a collection of transportation strategies that aim to reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions and make transportation systems more efficient. TDM encourages people to replace their drive-alone trips with more sustainable options such as biking, walking, carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, or even teleworking.
What is Way to Go Durham:
Way to Go Durham is the City’s TDM Program. We work with residents, visitors, commuters, and business owners to establish cost-effective and efficient commute patterns across and around Bull City.
What Are My Options:
Biking or Walking: Take advantage of the warm weather by biking or walking to your destination instead of driving. The City has several paved trails and safe bikeways. Before leaving, refresh your knowledge of biking in North Carolina or sign up for a local bike safety class. When choosing to bike or walk, wear the proper attire to ensure drivers and other cyclists or pedestrians see you. Avoid wearing dark colors, and always wear your bike helmet while cycling.
Carpooling: Forming a carpool crew for work or leisure trips is an efficient way to save money, reduce the number of cars on the road, and a way to make lasting memories with co-workers, friends, or family members. The key to a successful carpool is communication. Create a schedule and designate roles for your carpool crew.
Vanpooling: A vanpool is a group of 5 to 15 passengers who regularly commute together in an SUV or commuter van where you share the cost and responsibility of driving among the group. In Durham, subsidies support our vanpool program, making joining even easier.
Transit: Our buses in Durham will remain fare-free until June 30. GoDurham Transit does not require riders to show ID, provide payment, or scan an app. Our riders hop on the bus they need to reach their destinations. Bus schedules are conveniently built into all smart devices using the Apple or Google Maps transit icon. You can also visit the GoDurham Transit website for all bus schedules. You can also GoTriangle bus services including their Park and Ride for your travels at RDU Airport.
Teleworking: Telework is where you work at home, maybe two or three days out of the five-day work week. This option significantly reduces VMT, carbon emissions, and traffic congestion because it removes the need for travel for work. Ask your supervisor if your job qualifies for a telework policy and implement a schedule that works for you.
If TDM strategies are ineffective for your field of work, you can still implement our tactics daily, for example, pitch carpooling or sharing the ride if you plan a night out with friends.
How Does It Work:
The Way to Go Durham program can help you explore options with resources, additional information on each mode, and a commuter database showing which mode will work best for your commute. The Share the Ride NC platform can serve as your commuter guide to identify carpool matches and existing vanpools to join. The platform can also provide a detailed commuter plan to support your chosen mode. Additional benefits of Share the Ride NC include the Emergency Ride Home Program (ERH) and GoPerks.
The ERH Program covers emergencies when you take the bus, share the ride, or bike/walk to work. This program provides a FREE taxi ride when you or a family member gets sick or even if you have unscheduled overtime. It also works if your carpool or vanpool driver must leave work early. You can use this resource two times per month or six times per year.
GoPerks offers you a chance to win prizes simply by sharing information on your commutes each week. To get started, sign into or create your Share the Ride NC account and track your trips on the platform. The data you enter about your commutes is used for the annual reporting to calculate how much money commuters saved, reduced carbon emissions, and vehicle miles traveled using a sustainable mode.
This Earth Day, we want you to feel confident about your commute. Create the commute plan that works best for your schedule. Be open to exploring different modes, and do not be afraid to seek help as you do so. The Way to Go Durham program is here to help you learn your options and provide the resources you need, from bike lights and reflective vests to custom commute plans.