Pennsylvanians who want to take one of the easiest possible steps to reduce vehicle emissions, congestion and fuel use (I'm talking about carpooling here) are getting a push from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The PA DEP's is promoting a summer-long "Share the Ride Challenge" that targets Susquehanna Valley commuters. The Challenge starts tomorrow and officially continues through September 30 and asks people to carpool or use public transportation at least ten times in those 22 weeks. Is that even a challenge? Ten times? Baby steps, I guess. Ambitious commuters could knock ten rides down in two weeks. If you'd like to participate, visit the Challenge website and register an account. Prizes include restaurant gift cards, free gas (oh, the irony) and more. Even though the prizes end in September, there's really no limit as to when carpooling makes sense.

[Source: PA DEP / Yahoo]

Earlier this month, we found out that the city of Mumbai in India was offering some cool perks for those willing to carpool. We thought that this was a pretty cool idea, so we are pretty keen on the thought that the U.S. is getting something similar. So far only available in one state, NuRide and Dunkin' Donuts have teamed up to offer discounts at Dunkin' Donuts locations for those carpoolers-in-Connecticut who'd like to save $5.00 off a "Box 'O Joe" and a dozen donuts.

If you'd like to get in on the free coffee and donuts (and who wouldn't?), visit NuRide.com and look for other people who are looking to share a ride. If you don't happen to live in Connecticut, other sponsors have signed on that may offer specials in your area.

[Source: NuRide]

How are gas prices affecting you personally? If you drive an SUV every day, your fuel bill is surely putting a crimp in your pocketbook. Even if you drive a vehicle which gets high fuel mileage, we imagine that you're still quite cognizant of your driving habits. Do you carpool to work or when dropping your kids off at school? Do you walk or ride your bike to places that you used to drive to? These questions are important, both to your fellow readers and to car manufacturers. To prove that point, Jon F. Thompson from Toyota's Corporate Communications has posted a new entry on Toyota's Open Road Blog, asking readers to comment on what changes they've personally made, if any.

Perusing the comments, it's easy to see that fuel prices are causing drivers, no matter how efficient their vehicle is, to change their habits. If you've ever wanted to talk to somebody at a major car company about its fuel efficient options, here's your chance to do it.

[Source: Toyota Open Road Blog]