West Virginia University’s Fourth Annual Transportation Week runs from Sept. 17-22. Hosted by the WVU Department of Transportation and Parking, this week is all about giving people the opportunity to explore different modes of transportation besides the use of a car throughout the congested Morgantown area.

WVU’s WE GO! Campaign for Alternative Transportation strives to reduce congestion and pollution in and around Morgantown.

The many modes of transportation encouraged include the PRT, a carpool program for commuters called Zimride, the short-term car-sharing program called Zipcar, the Mountain Line Bus Service and walking or biking.

“These modes are essential to the overall reduction of single occupancy cars that could congest our streets, and they promote healthy lifestyles,” said Hugh E. Kierig, director of Transportation and Parking at WVU. “They provide ways for getting around town without a car.”

Transportation Week Event Schedule:

Monday, Sept. 17

Walking Day: Walk to campus? It is one of the cheapest and healthiest ways to get around. There will be a booth set up in the Mountainlair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with free giveaways for anyone who walks to campus as well as additional information will be given out about the benefits of walking.

Tuesday, Sept. 18

Bicycle Day: Want to learn more about biking in Morgantown? Come to the information booth outside of the Mountainlair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn more about the convenience and benefits of biking. Members of the Morgantown Bicycle Board and WVU Cycling will be in attendance to provide information on the best types of bicycles for our terrain, important and proper use of safety equipment, and proper adjustments for you and your bicycle. Learn about the 40 new bike parking spaces created this summer on the Downtown and Evansdale campuses.

Wednesday, Sept. 19

Zimride/ Zipcar Day: This day will promote and encourage the use of carpooling and ride sharing. WVU offers Zimride as its private, online carpooling network. Need a ride home for the weekend, a trip to an away football game, or going to class? Give carpooling a try. In addition, Zipcar, offers students an opportunity to rent a car by the hour with gas and insurance paid. Zipcar is offering a special discount on its registration fee to support Transportation Week 2012. Together, these services provide students with a great opportunity to get around campus without the need of their own vehicle. There will be a booth set up in the Mountainlair from 10:00am-2:00pm for any student or employee that wants to sign up for Zimride and Zipcar. New Zipcar members will get a $35 driving credit towards their car rental. More information can be found at http://zimride.wvu.edu and http://www.zipcar.com/wvu.

Thursday, Sept. 20

Mountain Line Day: Mountain Line will be holding a contest throughout the day via Twitter/Facebook. Join us to test your knowledge of local public transportation. If you post the correct answer to a question you could win an iTunes card, Mountie Bounty or Grey Line tickets for Thanksgiving Break! Join us on Facebook or on Twitter by texting “follow MountainLine” to phone number 40404 (texting rates apply). Mountain Line will also be featuring their latest bus tracker technology available right to your phone!

Friday, Sept. 21

PRT Day: Ride the PRT on Friday to receive free giveaways at the Towers and Engineering stations. Join us as we close in on celebrating our 80 millionth passenger.

Saturday, Sept. 22

Transportation Week wraps up at the Morgantown Farmers Market located on Spruce Street at Fayette Avenue. There will be a booth set up for anyone who would like information on what WVU transportation has to offer. For people who walk, bike or take the PRT or Mountain Line to the Farmers Market on Saturday, promotional items will be given out at the booth.

For additional information on the Transportation Week events and alternative modes of transportation we offer at WVU, please contact Hugh E. Kierig at (304) 293-9095, visit our website at http://transportation.wvu.edu or follow us on Twitter @WVUDOT.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Hugh E. Kierig, Director, Department of Transportation and Parking
(304) 293-5502, Hugh.kierig@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.