Ask Bonnie

Palm Tran, Palm Beach County’s public transit service, along with Broward County Transit, Miami-Dade Transit, South Florida Commuter Services, Tri-Rail and the Florida Department of Transportation, will be participating in the third annual National Dump the Pump Day Thursday, June 19.

Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), National Dump the Pump Day encourages people to ride public transportation to save money, conserve gasoline, and help reduce greenhouse gases. Households with two workers and one car that use public transportation save an estimated $6,200 every year, compared to households with no access to public transportation. Public transportation also plays an important role in helping to reduce greenhouse gases.

By participating in National Dump the Pump Day, Palm Tran officials hope people who have never used public transportation will give it a try, instead of driving their car. As part of South Florida’s Dump the Pump campaign, lucky transit riders will receive a scratch-off card to be eligible for the chance to win $1,000 cash, a three-day/two-night Hawks Cay Resort getaway for two in the Florida Keys, tickets to Universal Studios in Orlando, Dunkin Donuts gift cards, transit passes and more. The scratch-off cards will be distributed during the morning of June 19 at select bus and train stations while supplies last.

To plan your trip in support of National Dump the Pump Day or to learn more about all commuter options, please call 1-800-234-RIDE

source: staff reporters at Boca Raton News

Boca applies for certification as ‘green’ friendly community
Assistant City Manager Mike Woika outlined the application process to the City Council at a workshop meeting last week.

“Boca Raton is a leader in sustainability,” he said, pointing out a term that’s become synonymous with “green” friendly.

He said Boca Raton has taken a lead in processing wastewater into reclaimed water. The city, he said, also practices “environmentally sensitive land acquisition, recycling and energy reduction.”

Woika told council members he is filling out the application to have Boca certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition, which has established Green Local Government Designation Standards.

Ironically, to go “green,” Boca is applying for a “silver” designation. Other, more stringent regulations are gold and platinum.

What the city will get from the designation, he said, “is the recognition that it has done things that are environmentally friendly.”

“We will go through a list of standards and see how we stack up,” he told the Boca Raton News after the meeting. “We want to see what others have done.”

He said it will take some 60 to 90 days to file the application. As part of the process, the city will be reviewed in 221 “credit” areas, with varying possible point totals in the areas of city administration, agriculture, building and development, economic development, emergency management and public safety, housing and human services, resource management, environmental protection, public works and engineering.

The application process also involves an in-house assessment, review and evaluation. The Florida Green Building Coalition assigns a project evaluator to meet with the city and verify the application forms.

To earn a “silver designation,” the city has to receive 20 to 40 percent of maximum applicable points. Gold certification requires 40 to 60 percent of applicable points and platinum status requires a tally of 61 percent or higher. Recertification is required every five years.

Woika said he feels the city can get the silver designation “without too much work.”

source: Dale M. King