Countywide : Elephant Joins the Ride-Share Parade

Promoters of ride-sharing among Irvine Spectrum business complex workers are using a live elephant this week to get their message across.

Adorned in tent-size signs proclaiming “Beastly commute?” and “Don’t forget to ride-share,” the elephant named Speck is part of California Ride-share Week. Orange County activities for Ride-share Week range from luaus in company parking lots to competitions between rival firms.

“Well, if an elephant doesn’t get people’s attention, nothing will,” said Charity Gavaza, executive director of Spectrumotion, the Irvine Spectrum’s transportation management association.

More than 1.5 million pledge card-sweepstakes forms have been distributed through major employers, which qualify car-poolers for prizes including trips to Europe, Hawaii and San Francisco.

Commuters can pledge by calling the Orange County Transit District’s Commuter Network at (714) 636-RIDE.

Local firms have scheduled transportation fairs at their facilities, including Lucky’s in Buena Park, Disneyland in Anaheim, Hughes Aircraft Co. and the Marriott Hotel, both in Newport Beach, ITT Cannon in Fountain Valley, Emulex, State Farm Insurance and the Archive Corp., all of Costa Mesa, Humana Hospitals of Huntington Beach, JVC Co. in Cypress, and Alpha Beta Markets in La Habra.

Most of the fairs will have representatives from bike shops, health and wellness clinics and sporting goods stores, OCTD General Manager James P. Reichert said.

“If everyone in Orange County stopped driving to work alone just one day each week, we would reduce our freeway traffic congestion by 20%,” Reichert said.

Caltrans and OCTD will continue to monitor ride-sharing on Wednesday “Keep California Moving Day” to see if bus, van-pool and car-pool use increases.