Be it by foot, bike or bus, UCLA Transportation is asking commuters to get their two-wheelers and TAP cards out to try changing their commuting habits to a more environmentally friendly option during October.

As part of its annual Sustainable Transportation Month celebration, UCLA Transportation is collecting pledges from the campus community to try walking, biking, carpooling, taking transit or telecommuting to raise awareness about the impact of vehicles on the environment.

“Transportation pollution leads to poor air quality and traffic congestion, which makes reducing emissions from personal vehicles coming to campus a top goal for the university,” said Nurit Katz, UCLA’s chief sustainability officer.

The UCLA Sustainability Plan released in the spring identified reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips as a key initiative. Transportation is the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in California. To accomplish this, UCLA needs sustainable mobility options for commuters including public transit pass programs and incentives to bike to campus.

With close to 70,000 commuters coming in each weekday, alternatives to driving alone contribute to UCLA’s overall sustainability efforts and help establish it as a climate-friendly campus, Katz said.

Sustainable Transportation Month activities highlight the programs and services available to UCLA commuters, such as bike resources, free and subsidized transit passes, discounted carpool parking permits, and the complimentary campus shuttle BruinBus through the pledge drive. Each pledge counts as an entry to win a prize like a Visa gift card and AMC Theatres movie package.

“UCLA Transportation prioritizes providing students, faculty and staff with convenient alternatives that reduce environmental impacts and importantly offer personal benefits like improved health and wellness and reduced financial costs associated with owning, parking and maintaining a car,” said Lisa Koerbling, interim director of UCLA Transportation.

Bruins ready to rethink their ride can get transportation questions answered, spin a prize wheel and discover the department’s offerings and promotions to take advantage of at the Sustainable Transportation Month fair on Thursday, Oct. 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Bruin Plaza.