Leaner, Greener Norman

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A Leaner, Greener Norman Congratulations Lexi of Eisenhower Elementary the 2011 Dump the Pump Contest winner!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

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Al’s Bicycles supports green living in Norman Special to the Transcript

Al’s Bicycles of Norman has been located at 562 W. Main since 1993, but recently Al’s has undergone a number of changes.

Last summer the new owners, Hank and Ann Ryan, through their company GAPCO, LLC, began making physical improvements in the store and increasing and expanding the bicycle, parts and accessories inventory.

The existing bike brands including Raleigh, Diamondback, Hoffman and Eastern offer great quality at affordable prices in road,

mountain, hybrid, cruiser and BMX styles.

Hank immediately added the Dahon folding bike line because that’s what he loves to ride.

They are perfect for the commuter who wants to be able to put his/her bike in the car, on the bus or take it into the office.

Recently in an effort to continue catering to the “Dump the Pump” movement, they’ve added Xtracycles (photo), a line of longtails.

What are longtails?

They are cargo bikes that truly offer a viable alternative to automobiles. Drop by, test ride

the Radish and change your life!

Al’s is very aware of environmental concerns.

Of course bike riding is carbon free, but some of the bi-products are not.

So the Ryans make the extra effort to recycle rubber (used tires and

tubes) and to take cardboard (big bike boxes) to Norman recycling.

Since Norman recently was named a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Cyclists, Al’s is particularly proud to be part of this community and to

support the Leaner Greener initiative.

They also support the Bicycle League of Norman, sponsor a number of cycling events including the Norman Conquest coming up July 16 and promote civic projects such as Safety Town.

Al’s is a full service independent bike store for all your cycling needs. Skilled mechanics Andrew Koszarek, Grayson Smith and Michael Brandt can service any brand of bike or help you find the ride just right for you.

You’re welcome to ride any of the more

than 100 bikes in stock.

Accessories purchased with a new bicycle are 10% off. Lifetime adjustments are free to the original owner of any Al’s bike.

The Ryans have transformed Al’s into a true family bike store with something for everyone ---the 3-year-old beginner, the high flying BMXer, the serious racer, the economy-minded commuter, health-seeking couples, campus cruising students and rugged mountain bikers.

Check out their new website at www.alsbicycles.com or better yet, stop by for a test ride.

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

CART embraces CNG technology Special to The Transcript

Cleveland Area Rapid Transit is working to ensure smoke-belching diesel buses become a thing of the past soon in Norman and on the University of Oklahoma campus.

The public transit service is one step closer with the addition of 11 new compressed natural gas vehicles in the past year. Five of the new buses are 35-foot Orion VIIs, purchased through federal stimulus funds.

Six of the new CNG vehicles are cutaway buses and vans, purchased with funds U.S. Rep. Tom Cole helped CART acquire.

CART also has three buses converted from diesel to CNG, bringing to 14 the total number of buses running on the cleaner fuel. CART has 21 vehicles burning biodiesel and four support vehicles fueled with ethanol.

Natural gas is produced at relatively low cost and is cleaner burning than gasoline or diesel fuel, studies show.

Natural gas vehicles show an average reduction in ozone-forming emissions of 80 percent compared with gasoline vehicles.

CART boasts a fueling station with pumps for ethanol, biodiesel and CNG. CART has four

This 29-foot Cleveland Area Rapid Transit bus is wrapped in Crimson & Green, promoting sustainability at the University of Oklahoma. The bus is powered by clean burning, domestically produced compressed natural gas.

fast-fill and eight slow-fill CNG pumps.

“We are one of few transit systems in the nation to utilize a variety of alternative fuels, supporting emerging Amer-

ican technology,” said Doug Myers, director of OU Parking and Transportation Services.

Last year CART transported more than 1.3 million passengers

on its fixed-route bus system, and more than 33,000 elderly and disabled passengers through CARTaccess, the ADA/paratransit system.

“Norman and the university are fortunate to have a public transit system, and we are just as fortunate to have lawmakers, and university and city leaders who support CART’s mission of transporting Oklahomans to school, work, doctors’ appointments, shopping centers and elsewhere,” Myers said.

The five 35-foot CNG buses arrived just in time for the fall 2010 semester at OU. Wayne Wickham, CART manager of operations, is responsible for finding an order of 300 buses with Daimler Buses North America. Joining with Daimler allowed

U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., toured the Theta M. Dempsey Transportation Operations Center on The University of Oklahoma campus in April. Cole (eighth from left) is pictured next to Dempsey, with other CART, OU and city of Norman officials. Cole was instrumental in helping CART acquire funding for six new compressed natural gas vehicles. Three are 29-foot buses, like the one pictured, and three are 26-foot vans for CART’s paratransit service for the elderly and disabled.

CART to save nearly $75,000 per bus. Funding for buses, at more than $350,000 each, came from fiscal year 2009 federal stimulus money allotted through the Federal Transportation Administration.

OU’s Fleet Services spent a week in September learning the new CNG technology and how to maintain and repair the buses.

On the bumper of the five 35-foot buses came six new cutaway vans mounted to Chevrolet chassis in January of this year. The vans were purchased with funding sought through Cole’s congressional office.

The vans also burn CNG and have lifts.

Three of the 29-foot cutaways are used on fixed routes and three 26-foot cutaways are used for CART’s paratransit service. With cutaway vehicles, a second manufacturer adds equipment to the chassis to complete the vehicle.

Cody Ponder, CART planning and grants specialist, continually searches for funding opportunities for more CNG vans and buses.

“Vans surpass their useful life at five years, and buses at 12 years, so the process of acquiring new vehicles is ongoing,” he said.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

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Tara Eisenhower Elementary

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

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Sunday, June 12, 2011

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LET’S DUMP THE PUMP AND RIDE THE BUS Special day celebrates public transit system

Benefits of public transit

Special to The Transcript

Cleveland Area Rapid Transit , the public transit system for the University of Oklahoma and the city of Norman, is gearing for the fifth annual celebration of Dump the Pump. The event encourages residents to ride public transportation, save money, reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign oil and cut our carbon footprint.

“Public transportation is vital to a community Norman’s size,” said Mayor Cindy Rosenthal.

“Our citizens rely on it to get to and from work, school, doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, and many other places.

CART fuels Norman’s economy in so many ways.”

Dump the Pump is celebrated nationally on the third Thursday in June, which is this coming Thursday. CART has several events planned to mark the occasion: • Students from Norman Public Schools have illustrated reasons to Dump the Pump and get on the bus. Winning artwork is featured in a bus ad, and the drawings are appearing in The Norman Trancript.

• Ride the bus for free on Thursday on both

You can win one of two Electra Cruiser bicycles at the June 16 Dump the Pump celebration and concert at Andrews Park. The party begins at 6 p.m. You must be present to win.

CART’s fixed-route system and CARTaccess, the origin-to-destination service for the elderly and disabled.

• Free T-shirts featuring CART’s Dump the Pump logo will be distributed (while supplies last) to bus riders beginning at 8 a.m. on the South Oval at the University of Oklahoma.

• The entire community is invited to celebrate at a 6 p.m. concert in Andrews Park. The concert will feature the Oklahoma City band zero2sixty, and free snow cones will be available to all who attend.

• Norman-area busi-

nesses have agreed to help by sponsoring the event and donating prizes. During the concert, two bicycles, an overnight stay at a bed and breakfast, restaurant coupons and other items will be given away. You must be at the concert to win prizes.

“This is just one way CART can give a little back to the community and citizens who support public transit,” said Doug Myers, OU’s director of Parking and Transportation Services. “We look forward to seeing you Thursday on the bus and at the evening concert.”

The Oklahoma City band zero2sixty will perform at 6 p.m.

Thursday at the Dump the Pump celebration in Andrews Park.

1. Ensures Safety. Public transportation continues to be one of the safest modes of travel in the United States. In fact, riding a transit bus is 91 times safer than car travel. Transit vehicle operators are highly trained to anticipate and avoid problems. Most transit vehicles are larger, newer and more substantial than autos or vans.

2. Saves Money. For every $10 million invested in public transportation, more than $15 million is saved in transportation costs to both highway and public transportation users.

According to the American Automobile Association, the estimated cost of driving a single-occupant vehicle is between $4,826 (for a small car) and $9,685 (for a large car), depending upon mileage. By contrast, the annual average cost for public transportation for one adult ranges from $200 to $2,000, depending upon mileage, time of day, type of vehicle or service.

3. Eases Traffic Congestion. Nearly half of all Americans believe traffic is a serious problem where they live. Most (57 percent) do not feel their commute will improve over the next three years, and nearly a quarter expect to spend more time commuting. Public transportation helps to alleviate our nation’s crowded network of roads by providing transportation choices.

4. Improves Air Quality. Public transportation helps promote cleaner air by reducing automobile use, which can exacerbate smog and public health problems. For each mile traveled, fewer pollutants are emitted by transit vehicles than by a single-passenger automobile. (Buses emit 80 percent less carbon monoxide than a car.)

Each year, public transportation use avoids the emission of more than 126 million pounds of hydrocarbons, a primary cause of smog, and 156 million pounds of nitrogen oxides, which can cause respiratory disease.

5. Reduces Energy Consumption. Public transportation can significantly reduce dependency on gasoline, reducing auto fuel consumption by 1.5 billion gallons annually. For example, a person who commutes 60 miles each way daily could save an estimated 1,888 gallons of gasoline every year by switching from using a car to using public transportation.

6. Stimulates Economic Development. A transit coalition report, “Dollars & Sense: The Economic Case for Public Transportation in America,” found that every dollar taxpayers invest in public transportation generates $6 or more in economic returns.

7. Fosters More Livable Communities. Public transportation facilities and corridors are natural focal points for economic and social activities.

These activities help create strong neighborhood centers that are more economically stable, safe and productive.

Studies have shown that the ability to travel in an area conveniently, without a car, is an important component of a community’s livability. Public transportation provides opportunity, access, choice and freedom, all of which contribute to an improved quality of life.

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Sunday, June 12, 2011