Concerned Farmingdale State College Students Spearheading World Mobility Week's Car Free Day
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- It's time to leave the car at home and walk it, bike it, or train it.
World Mobility Week means we all do our part to encourage sustainable transportation, and this year more people than ever, concerned about global warming, say they want to do their part, CBS2's Jennifer McLogan reported Tuesday.
Urfa Ajmal, a senior at Farmingdale State College, moved here from Pakistan four years ago.
"I came from a country where there was no concept of global warming," Ajmal said.
Ajmal and hundreds of other Farmingdale State students jumped on the global bandwagon to create a greener, more sustainable future, as engineering majors.
"To make the world a better place and I'm really glad to be a part of it," Ajmal said.
They're now helping launch World Mobility Week and Car Free Day, an international event celebrated every September in 3,100 cities and 50 countries.
This week, everyone is encouraged to drive less and use alternative options, including transit, bicycling, walking, van-pooling, and telecommuting, for those who can work from home.
Farmingdale State shuttles students from the Long Island Rail Road station to the campus. Forty percent of Long Island's greenhouse gas emissions come from vehicles.
"Traffic on Long Island is back to pre-pandemic levels. We are continuing through the end of the year to charge off-peak fares," LIRR President Philip Eng said.
NASA satellite images show pollution levels dropped during the pandemic, but they are rising again.
"The reason for joining together is more urgent than ever," Farmingdale State College President Dr. John Nader said.
Nader said more and more students want to study alternatives and infrastructure.
The research nonprofit TRIP says Long Islanders are stuck in traffic 81 hours per year, costing each driver $1,684 in wasted time and fuel.
"College campuses is where it's all happening. Thank God for that because we need these kids," said Mindy Germain of Car Free Day Long Island.
"The world's changing, temperatures are rising, global temperatures. I just know and feel strong about the fact I should be doing something about it," Farmingdale State senior Joseph Cueter said.
He said every person can make a difference.
Car Free Day on Long Island is on Wednesday. Other locations around the state, and country, can choose any day through Sunday to ditch their cars and help clean our air.
