Annoyed by high gas prices? Open your eyes to options available. Cheaper Transportation for Jefferson County Commuters

The Problem Fuel costs have risen dramatically (quant range $ and in time, e.g. graph) Driving is a necessary part of life in Jefferson County No price relief in sight (show trend instead of being speculative, ground it in data, cite article, agencies, projections)

Prices aren’t going down Hurricanes reduced refining capacity (show how) Global instability and uncertainty (show trend instead of being speculative, ground it in data, cite article, agencies, projections) Increased global demand

What does this mean to you? Increased costs of transportation (stats proj) Destabilized family budget Your problem: Finding ways to decrease transportation costs

What alternatives are there for Jeffco commuters? Buses Trains Carpooling Hybrid vehicles Other fuel options

Advantages of Buses Excellent option for Northern Virginia commuters Cheaper (how musch Convenience Less stress Easy parking Schedules and ticket purchasing available online Routes and buses are being added

Local Bus & Train Rates VS. Driving MARC train from Duffield to Washington D.C. 75 mile driving commute[1] (3 x 3 x 10)[1] $67.50 per week (ten trip ticket) $90.00 amt saved per week month year MARC train from Harpers Ferry to Silver Spring, MD 61 mile driving commute (2.4 x 3 x 10) $60.00 per ten trip ticket $73.20 per week Bus service from Leesburg to the Pentagon 36 mile driving commute (1.44 x 3 x 10) $ ten trip ticket $ per week Bus service from Purcellville to the Pentagon 49 mile driving commute (2 x 3 x 10) $ ten trip ticket $ per week

Advantages of Trains Best for those commuting to Maryland and D.C. Cheaper than what Faster than what Less stress Easy parking Links to the bus and Metro Different cities and connecting lines are being added

Advantages of Carpools Cheaper than what Less vehicle maintenance More flexible scheduling options Available usage of HOV lane Building community Fewer cars on the road Improved air quality

Hybrids Dramatically improves fuel economy Hybrids are comparably equipped Expanding selection of models Tax incentives Less pollution Most flexible solution – individual conveni

Other forms of fuel Ethanol: Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced from starch crops. Ethanol is most commonly used additive to increase octane and improve emissions. ( data on consumption? Production?) Propane: Propane is a popular alternative fuel choice for vehicles because there is already an infrastructure of pipelines, processing facilities, and storage for its efficient distribution. Hydrogen: Hydrogen has been used effectively in a number of internal combustion engine vehicles as pure hydrogen mixed with natural gas. Number of filling stations is miniscule (add #)

Continued… Electricity: Electricity can be used as a transportation fuel to power battery electric and fuel cell vehicles. EV batteries have a limited storage capacity. They are replenished by plugging the vehicle into an electrical source. Gas: Natural gas is domestically produced and readily available to end- users through the utility infrastructure. It is also clean burning and produces significantly fewer harmful emissions than reformulated gasoline or diesel when used in natural gas vehicles.

Summary of Benefits make it specific to the info and data presented above– and draw reasonable conclusions for your audience. Economic  Cheaper fuel costs  Less vehicle maintenance Social  Getting to know your community Environmental  Less road construction  Better air quality

Conclusion Fuel prices will not be going down anytime soon It is up to us as individuals to take advantage of alternatives

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