$1.52 million program promotes getting to work on public transportation • Tel Aviv’s bike sharing service to be expanded, shuttles will run between train stations and business centers • Initiative expected to eliminate over 300,000 car trips annually.

Is there anyone who isn’t tired of looking for a parking place every morning, or being stuck in traffic jams? The Environmental Protection Ministry might have a solution. The ministry is slated to start funding projects that will let commuters leave their cars at home and get to work on time. The expected result is reduced air pollution and gas consumption; less traffic; and shorter commuting times.

The proposed measures are part of the implementation of a national plan to cut air pollution that has been approved by the cabinet and is slated to go into action a few months from now. Some 6 million shekels ($1.52 million) will be put into the project.

The ministry is expected to lend it support to projects designed to encourage commuting by public transportation and using bicycles rather than cars. The plan, which is projected to cut back on hundreds of thousands of car tips annually, includes the establishment of a shuttle system to and from centers of business, as well as an expansion of Tel Aviv’s bike sharing system to all of the Gush Dan region. The latter initiative will also include upgrades to bike paths in the area.

Cities slated to benefit from the project include Tel Aviv and its surrounding cities Givatayim, Holon, Ramat Gan, and Petach Tikva, as well as Jerusalem. It should be noted that the amount of ministry support for the various municipal authorities is based on the cities’ population density and the data on annual carbon dioxide emissions from cars. The amount of aid is being set according to each city’s socio-economic status, with the poorer cities getting more money. Support from the Environmental Protection Ministry is conditional on each local authority submitting its own detailed plan to reduce air pollution and use of personal vehicles.

“The fight against air pollution will prevent deaths,” Deputy Environmental Protection Minister Ofir Akunis said.

“The citizens of Israel can imagine the savings they will enjoy if they decide to leave their cars at home during the week and get to work using the alternate methods of transportation we’ll be offering, in conjunction with the local authorities,” Akunis added.

Estimates say that placing bike rental stations in Givatayim, for example, would cut down on some 200,000 car trips per year. The shuttle initiative from the Petach Tikva train station to the city’s business center is expected to save another 120,000 car trips annually.

The ministry’s proposals to cut back on air pollution caused by commuter traffic also include developing ride sharing applications for government employees and steps to keep polluting vehicles out of city centers.

via Israel Hayom | Gov’t plan tackles air pollution caused by commuter traffic.