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Shuttles push ridership with prizes

TAVIN STUCKI

 

The Cache Valley Transit Department, Cache Chamber of Commerce and Aggie Shuttle are teaming up to organize the Cache-In for Clean Air event throughout February. 

Riders of any CVTD or Aggie Shuttle buses can ask the driver upon boarding for one ticket per day from Feb. 1-29. Tickets can be filled out and given to one of 25 sponsors of Cache-in for Clean Air to be entered in a raffle for prizes of approximately $100 value each. 

CVTD’s manager of marketing and planning Randy Park said the drawing will be the first week of March and winners will be contacted by phone. 

“We’re excited,” he said. “I think this is going to be a great community event. We’ve got a lot of business support. There’s really some nice prizes.”

Participating businesses include several grocery stores including Walmart, Macey’s and Lee’s, as well as jewelers like the Diamond Gallery and S.E. Needham’s. USU is one of the top donors, including prizes from Athletics, University Inn, the Bookstore and Caine College of the Arts. A complete list of sponsors and prizes can be found at cvtdbus.org. 

Alden Erickson, USU’s shuttle supervisor since 1994, said the event is to help raise awareness of the traditionally low air quality in Cache Valley that seems to be at its worst during February. 

“We want to help inform Cache Valley residents of the historically poor air quality in the valley,” Erickson said. 

According to the Utah Division of Air Quality website, Cache Valley’s persistent high pressure systems combined with snow-covered ground, long nights and weak winds create temperature inversions which trap pollution by “acting as a lid on the bowl-like topography of the valley.”

This pollution is measured by how many particles — each 2.5 micrometers in diameter — are concentrated in the air. 

Bear River Health Department public relations director Jill Parker said February 2011 had one yellow air day, but February 2010 had five yellow air days and seven red air days. January 2011 had eight yellow air days and one red air day, and January 2010 had six yellow and 14 red air days. 

Air quality in Cache Valley is rate on a three-color system with green being ideal-quality air. Yellow air days are defined as days in which there is a concentration rating of 25-34 pollutant units per cubic meter. Red days are defined as days with concentration ratings of 35-210 units and are considered unhealthy, especially for children and older adults. 

Park said CVTD is helping to improve the problem and has three hybrid diesel-electric buses in the 35-bus fleet. 

“Between the two of us,” Park said of CVTD and Aggie Shuttle, “we see ourselves as part of the air-quality solution.” 

Erickson said USU has the largest alternative fuel system of all higher education institutions in the state. 

“We carry about a million people a year,” Erickson said of the 11 buses in the fleet. “All the university buses run on compressed natural gas, so it’s cleaner.”

Park and Erickson both said they think Cache-in for Clean Air will improve pollution levels in the valley.

“If we can get more people to ride the bus and less people to drive, it will help,” Erickson said. “We just want to encourage people to drop their car and give mass transit a try.”

 

– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu