Research Triangle Park, N.C. - Fairway Outdoor Advertising has agreed to help spread the word about the SmartCommute Challenge by donating the use of a mobile billboard for five days this week.
The SmartCommute Challenge mobile billboard will be parked in several high-visibility locations throughout the Triangle and will only be driven a few hours per day.
“We’ve all got concerns about the environment,” said Paul Hickman, general manager of Fairway Outdoor Advertising. “This awareness program is one way to address those concerns and Fairway is proud to be a sponsor.”
In a further effort to support clean air alternatives, Fairway has agreed to fuel the mobile billboard truck with B20 biodiesel. “This is the first time we’ve used biodiesel and we’re excited to test it out,” said Hickman. “Based on how things go next week, we are seriously looking at switching to biofuel exclusively for all our mobile billboards.”
As gas prices rise, more diesel drivers may be switching to biodiesel for economic reasons. Currently, biodiesel (at $2.59/gal) is no more expensive than the current price for a gallon of regular diesel. And depending on where you fill up, it’s actually less expensive, with local diesel prices as high as $2.69/gallon at several Triangle stations.
Fairway Outdoor Advertising’s contribution of the billboard truck to the SmartCommute Challenge is worth approximately $5000.00.
About Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a naturally oxygenated fuel produced from organic feed sources such as soybeans, cooking oil, and animal fats. Biodiesel can be used in its pure form (B100 or "neat") or blended at any ratio with petroleum diesel to achieve cost efficiency and improve cold weather performance. It is commonly used as B20 - a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum diesel. B20 users generally experience no marked difference in fuel economy from petroleum diesel.
Biodiesel can be used in any diesel vehicle without modification. It is used extensively in parts of Europe and is gaining support in the United States. Applications include buses, delivery trucks, waste disposal and recycling trucks, construction and farm equipment, heavy-duty freight hauling, boats and passenger vehicles.
The production of Biodiesel has a 1 to 3.2 energy balance ratio. In other words, for every 1 unit of energy that goes into producing biodiesel, 3.2 units of energy are produced. Biodiesel also results in significantly lower emissions of particulate matter, carbon monoxide, toxic contaminants, sulfur dioxide, hydrocarbons, visible smoke and noxious odors than petroleum diesel. Depending on the feed source, biodiesel can result in a 75% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions over the entire production process.
Fairway Outdoor Advertising will be fueling the mobile billboard truck with B20, as opposed to B100, because of its current commercial availability.
Biodiesel is available at three Triangle locations:
Exxon, 4401 Roxboro Road, Durham, NC 27704, 919-471-6924
BP, 102 Gregson Road (at Hwy 64), Cary, NC , 27511, 919-481-4493
BP/Han-Dee Hugo; 401 Benson Rd (at Hwy 50), Garner, NC, 27529, 919-779-3858
About the SmartCommute Challenge
The SmartCommute Challenge is a non-profit public service campaign that uses prizes and special promotions to encourage Triangle commuters to explore transportation alternatives. In exchange for taking the online pledge, participants are entered into a drawing for a chance to win a free vacation or one of over 30 other prizes. Participants are also provided with a list of links to resources such as mass-transit schedules, a rideshare matching database, bicycle and pedestrian groups and more.
To date, 4000 Triangle residents have signed up to take the SmartCommute Challenge.
About the Organizers
SmartCommute @ RTP and the Triangle Transit Authority are responsible for the management and coordination of this campaign.
SmartCommute@RTP is the transportation management association (TMA) of Research Triangle Park. Its purpose is to coordinate the transportation demand management efforts of RTP employers to address common transportation concerns, reduce traffic congestion, and improve air quality. SmartCommute currently has 24 member employers, which account for over 80% of RTP employees, and several public affiliates, including the NCDOT and local transit agencies. SmartCommute is staffed by the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina in Research Triangle Park.
TTA is a regional public transportation provider, offering a wide variety of transit and vanpool services to North Carolina's greater Triangle Region and outlying counties. Bus service is available to Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Garner, RDU International Airport, Research Triangle Park (RTP) and Raleigh. The Triangle Transit Authority also provides commuter resources and hosts GoTriangle.org, the on-line resource for public transportation information in the Triangle.
TTA plans to implement a 28-mile rail transit system with 12 stations connecting Durham, RTP, Cary and Raleigh, with shuttles linking RDU International Airport and RTP. The rail transit system is expected to be operational in late 2008. For more information, visit www.rideTTA.org or call (919) 549-9999.
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