North Salem Climate Smart Community Committee teams up with Bedford 2030 for Clean Ride & Drive Expo

The Town of North Salem’s Climate Smart Community Committee has teamed up with Bedford 2030, the Bedford-based nonprofit working to address climate change, and Rivera Toyota to host a community expo and celebration of clean transportation on September 30. This will be the third year that Bedford 2030 has hosted a climate-focused community expo.

This year’s expo will take place at the farmer’s market at John Jay Homestead. Attendees will have the opportunity to check out new electric vehicles from local car dealers, including the all-electric Hummer and Rivian pickup truck.

“Our goal is to demonstrate the cost, environmental and performance benefits of today’s electric vehicle options, so when it’s time for someone to purchase or lease a new car, they will have all the information they need to make the switch to a fossil-free, clean-drive alternative,” said Bedford 2030 Program Director Mariah Okrongly.

Attendees will also be able to step onto a fully electric Bee-Line transit bus, view electric bikes from a local shop, and learn from local EV owners at “The Owners Corner.” Here, visitors can learn about the “Betty Ford,” a 1969 F-100 pick-up truck converted to all electric and powered by solar panels.

Live music and food from the farmer’s market will also be available. For kids, the expo will feature an inflatable bounce house and slide sponsored by Alysa DiMarco of StateFarm Insurance in Bedford Hills. Plan it Wild and Bedford Mowers will be on hand for attendees to learn about electric lawn equipment and the health and environmental benefits from transitioning to electricity at home.

“The Ride and Drive expo continues to provide accessible information and actions we can all take to make the switch to clean, fossil-free transportation,” Okrongly said. “48% of the greenhouse gas emissions polluting our community come from the transportation sector. We need to make changes, big and small, that will result in cleaner, healthier air for everyone.”

A recent town-wide inventory of greenhouse gas emissions in North Salem found that the town emits the equivalent of 43,761 metric tons of carbon dioxide (MTCO2e) annually. The largest emissions come from residences and transportation.

The Bedford 2030 Clean Ride and Drive Expo is part of National Electric Drive Week, Presented by Plug-In America, Sierra Club and the Electric Vehicle Association and is sponsored by North Salem’s Climate Smart Community and Rivera Toyota.

The Clean Ride & Drive Expo is a free event taking place Saturday, September 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at John Jay Homestead in Katonah. For more information, visit www.bedford2030.org or contact Bedford 2030 at info@bedford2030.org or (914) 620-2411.