With recent gas prices, an offer of free gas is appealing. The Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance hopes that it is appealing enough to get people to carpool to work, at least two days per week for two months. In return for that pledge, carpool participants receive a gas card worth $40.
The offer is available to any two drivers over 18 years old. Existing carpools can add a third member to become eligible for the offer. The program covers drivers with trips to, from or through San Mateo County, provided they have not previously participated in Alliance incentive programs. The program was inspired by a similar program operated by Community Alternatives Network, which applies to carpoolers who live, work or travel through Contra Costa County. The programs are supported by grants from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District's Transportation Fund for Clean Air.
For more information:
Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance, 650-588-8170; http://www.commute.org,
Leah Becker, Community Alternatives Network, 925-407-0355
Free parking may be even more attractive than free gas. Now vehicles in San Jose which use little or no gas may entitled to free parking in city garages and at parking meters on city streets. Electric vehicles which carry the California Highway Patrol sticker identifying them as clean air vehicles have been entitled to free parking for the past two years under a pilot program. In April, the city council extended the program to hybrid gas-electric vehicles which have been purchased in San Jose. Drivers who purchase vehicles from San Jose dealers receive a sticker exempting them from the parking fees.
For more information: David Vossbrink, City of San Jose, 408-277-5800
Baffled by trying to match landscaping sprinkler schedules to the changing seasons, many property owners go for a single setting and stick to it, wasting water in the winter and sometimes underwatering in summer heat. In October, Metropolitan Water District (MWD) in southern California unveiled an online water sprinkler calculator and index on the agency's Website. The calculator allows residents to customize their outdoor irrigation schedule based on soil conditions, plants and the weather, while the index provides regular updates on sprinkler settings.
The calculator was developed by the City of San Diego. After asking a few questions of the user, it produces a customized watering schedule that estimates how many minutes of watering each station will need on a month-to-month basis.
Most newer model timers allow users to set maximum watering times for each station, and then reset all stations to the appropriate percentage of that maximum with one adjustment. The weekly sprinkler index is based on historical and daily evapo-transpiration data which show how much moisture is lost to the atmosphere, and indicates what percentage of maximum watering time is needed for the current week. Agency officials hope that residents will check the index weekly and make the quick adjustment necessary.
MWD estimates that 30 to 70 percent of residential water use in its service area is outside the home, and that seasonal adjustments can save significant amounts of both water and money for customers and the district.
For more information: Metropolitan Water District, http://www.mwdh2o.com—look for the index percentage on the home page, and the calculator on the conservation page.
The City of Pleasanton, borrowing an idea from Salt Lake City, has painted signs saying LOOK on the pavement between crosswalk stripes. The Os in the signs are painted to look like eyes. The signs are intended to remind pedestrians to look before using the crosswalk. Studies have shown that car- pedestrian collisions almost double when the pedestrian is using a marked crosswalk, because people feel safe in a crosswalk and don't watch traffic as carefully. The city plans to add some version of the LOOK signs to all crosswalks around the city as maintenance is done during the year.