Van Pools Blog

By Alonzo R. Moore
Chief, Transportation Division, USAG White Sands Missile Range

Commuting and the Environment

White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), “Birthplace of America’s Missile and Space Activity” is a multi-service test range located in the Tularosa Basin of South-Central New Mexico.  At almost 3,200 square miles, the range is the largest military installation in the country.   WSMR occupies a 2-million-acre area about the size of Rhode Island and Delaware combined, and provides an infrastructure equivalent to one that supports a town of 10,000. The impact an installation of this magnitude can have on the environment is staggering, if not for the aggressive initiatives ongoing at WSMR.  One of those initiatives required growing commuter participation on the installation in an effort to effectively measure, manage, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance.

Attract a Sustainable Commuting Solution

For decades, dedicated WSMR employees found ways to ease the cost of transportation by forming private carpools or vanpools.  Some used the bus, a traditional fixed-route transit service, to meet their commuting needs to and from the installation.  However, because of the restrictions associated with a fixed-route bus service, ridership was limited and the high demand for commuting options was left unfulfilled.  The economic benefit that is required to attract and sustain a commuter base requires balancing low cost aligned with the quality and convenience of the commuting experience.  While commuting inherently provides an immediate cost savings over driving your vehicle, it doesn’t necessarily offer the same comfort and flexibility.  Many commuters agreed that the trade-off one has to accept when commuting is the inability to have a personal vehicle available while at work.  Elaine George, one of WSMR’s original commuters explains, “You do not always have the freedom to leave work and go home if you have to.  You don’t always have a way around post if it is not within walking distance.”  However, when weighing the use of your personal vehicle against the inherent cost savings of commuting, “There are no costs to me and no wear and tear on my personal vehicle,” said Sherri Corum, WSMR vanpool commuter.
Read More