UCLA Transportation organized its annual campaign to promote Sustainable Transportation Month on a virtual platform for the first time because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Get Movin’, Bruins! campaign aims to encourage students and faculty to commute using eco-friendly options, such as walking, bicycling and public transportation, through emails and posts on social media. UCLA Transportation is also providing resources about ongoing safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UCLA Transportation has engaged the community virtually through social media, such as with posts on its Be a Green Commuter blog and giveaways, according to a UCLA Transportation statement.
The campaign sends emails, writes blog posts and holds social media contests to garner participation, the statement said, adding that the virtual platform lets UCLA Transportation to reach a wider audience and get participation from more people.
Kayli Masuda, president of the Renewable Energy Association at UCLA, said eco-friendly travel costs less and keeps people healthy and active. Eco-friendly travel can also reduce traffic, which could improve air quality, Masuda added.
Grayson Peters, the vice president of the North Westwood Neighborhood Council, said that it is hard to reach students if you cannot directly impact their choices, but an online culture could encourage students to make informed choices.
Peters said there has been chatter about some employees working from home indefinitely because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but working from home is not a permanent alternative to in-person jobs.
“The extreme is that we never leave our apartments, and I’m curious to see how people adjust after the (COVID-19) pandemic,” Peters said. “More day-to-day jobs would require commuting, so I don’t think we can say that we need no subway or no bus line, which is what Californians think.”
Masuda said that though a virtual campaign may not be as impactful, it is a good initiative under the current circumstances.
“Beyond the tangible effect, emphasizing the cost to the environment and it being in the thought process is important,” she said.
