Combine Trips, Drive Less
Combining trips and staying local helps you drive less — one of the easiest ways to save time, money and reduce climate and air pollution. It's easy to combine activities, like going shopping and going to the gym, with a little planning.
Your Impact
Action Steps & Tips
Introduction
Combining trips and staying local is one of the easiest ways to reduce your driving miles. All it takes is a bit of planning. In fact, this free, easy action can save you a lot of time and money! And it is a great way to reduce climate and air pollution and make a positive impact.
More than half of all driving trips in the U.S. are social, recreational, shopping or errands — the types of trips that can be easily combined. Staying local is another great way to reduce your driving miles. You may find that checking out the corner store or new local restaurant is just as fun as driving farther away. Then find something fun to do with the time you saved!
Combining trips and driving less:
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Is one of the easiest ways to make an impact
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Is free
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Saves gas and money
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Reduces climate and air pollution
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Is a great reason to explore your local area and find new spots to check out!
1Plan out your trips
Make a list and plan a route. Take a few minutes and think about all the errands you need to run. Make a list and see if you can combine trips, or combine them with your commute and stop at the shops on your way home. You can use a GPS to map out the shortest route between stops. Leave your grocery list by the door to make sure you remember what you need and avoid multiple trips for forgotten items.
Check in with family or housemates. Ask your family and housemates if they need anything from the store before you start your errands. This act of kindness will be greatly appreciated and will save them a trip. Post a list of errands by the door or on the fridge so everyone can add to the list and save time!
Extra credit! Walk or bike when you can. Many errands are very close to home or very close to each other. For errands close to home, walk or bike if possible. For errands close to each other, park once and walk instead of moving your car. This will not only reduce your fuel costs and your impact but is a healthy addition to your day! Walking or biking is one of the best forms of exercise. Check out the Bike, Walk, Skateboard or Unicycle action to learn more!
2Consider staying local
Stay local. Another way to drive less is to stay local. The next time you are thinking of driving over an hour into (or across) the city for dinner or a few hours to that new hiking spot you wanted to check out, think about whether there is an interesting destination closer to home. Check out that new restaurant down the street or take a walk through the neighborhood.
Replacing longer trips with just a few of these local adventures can really help ease your impact as we transition to clean renewable energy! Until you are ready to switch to green electricity and get that electric car, gas powered miles have a serious impact. And you may find checking out the corner store or new local restaurant is just as fun as driving farther away!
Extra Credit: Drive Electric. Speaking of electric vehicles, did you know they are fun to drive? And they generally save $1,000 or more per year on fuel and maintenance. Ranges are now 300 miles or more for most models, making them viable for most daily driving habits. Just think—save money, fun to drive and no oil changes. Check out the Buy or Lease an EV action to learn more!