For some Gators, the days of a single-passenger commute are coming to a close.
UF is encouraging students, faculty and staff to pledge to take an alternative method of commuting to campus by participating in the One Less Car Challenge, which starts Oct. 17.
The day marks the start of a semester-long commitment by participants to limit their car use.
Those interested can make individual commitments, but Anna Prizzia, outreach coordinator of UF's Office of Sustainability, said she hopes student organizations will create teams.
Starting Oct. 17, participants can log in and track the average number of miles they and their teammates travel a day, a count that will continue until Dec. 17.
Aside from commuting to campus via a bicycle, Prizzia said alternative transportation includes scooters; GreenRide, a carpooling service; and Zipcar, a car-sharing program.
"We know that alternative transportation isn't one-size-fits-all," Prizzia said. "We're just hoping they find a mode that works for them."
Registration for the event is ongoing and will continue until Sept. 17, according to a UF news release.
An alternative transportation fair will kick off the low-fuel festivities on Oct. 16.
At the fair, RTS staff will be present to discuss routes and the new Gator Locator Global Positioning System. Prizzia said RTS may add more convenient routes for UF staff and faculty soon.
Students can also seek tips and demonstrations from local bike organizations, including Kickstand and the Student Government Bike Repair station, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Reitz Union North Lawn, according to the release.
On Oct. 17, there will be a celebration from 10 a.m. to noon, which will feature drawings for door prizes, including a digital camera, Prizzia said.
The event will also include a car versus bicycle race by two UF employees who are sent to run errands around town.
"Every year that we've done it, the bike has won," Prizzia said. "The car needed almost double the time the bike took."
Prizzia said she hopes the participants' pledges become habits by the end of the challenge Dec. 17.
"It's an opportunity to practice, and practice makes perfect, you know?" she said.
Zeke Zylberberg, a UF anthropology and religion senior, has not yet committed to the program, but he already bicycles about three miles to campus for class anyway.
For Zylberberg, his commitment to biking began when he trained with friends for a 4,500-mile bicycle ride that stretched from Austin, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska.
He said biking in a group gives new cyclists an advantage because they can learn from veterans.
He said students who think they lack the time to switch to bicycling may find bicycling to be more enjoyable and faster than driving a car.
Not everybody needs to bicycle, but everyone can make a difference, he said.
