Post Author's Photographer By WED Intern June 1, 2026

Environmentally friendly options that save households money are a win-win! Intern Jacob Bruns calculates the economic and environmental impact of several transportation scenarios for Decorah residents. Whether you’re trying to find wiggle room in your budget, or looking to lighten your environmental footprint, these scenarios will help you think differently about the impact of transportation habits.

The Daily Drive

On a Monday morning in Decorah, a family loads up the car. It’s a 5 minute drive to the elementary school to drop the kids off, and then another stint downtown for the parents’ work. In the afternoon, it’s back to John Cline to pick up the kids, and then a trip out to Will Baker Park for soccer practice. They make their way home afterward. 

In a Chevy Silverado pickup truck, these trips add up to 5.3 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, and $1.16 worth of gas used. Repeated every weekday for a month, that’s 105.8 lbs CO2 and $23.17.

In a Toyota Prius, it’s 1.9 lbs carbon dioxide emitted, and $.42 dollars worth of gas used. Over the month, it’s 38 lbs CO2 and $8.34 dollars.

If the kids had biked to school, and the parents had biked to work and to Will Baker, and everyone had biked home together afterward, all of this CO2 and money would have been saved for the expense of about 15 extra minutes in transportation.  

The Daily Drive: 

School Dropoff > Downtown > Soccer Practice > Decorah Home

2023 Chevy Silverado Pickup Truck

 Purchase Cost: $34,000

2023 Toyota Prius Sedan

Purchase Cost: $28,000

Biking

Purchase cost $300

Daily Monthly Yearly Daily Monthly Yearly Daily Monthly Yearly
Carbon Emissions (lbs CO2) 5.3 lbs 105.8 lbs 1,269.6 lbs 1.9 lbs 38 lbs 456 lbs 0 0 0
Fuel Cost $1.16 $23.17 $278.04 $.42 $8.34 $100.08 $0 $0 $0

 

Study Time

That same afternoon, a Luther student drives to Impact Coffee in a Honda Civic to study. There and back, it’s .74 pounds of CO2 and $.25 gas. If they had biked, the emissions would have been spared and it would have taken just two minutes longer. 

Study Time:
Luther College to Impact Coffee
2023 Honda Civic

Purchase Cost: $23,000

Biking

Purchase cost $300

Carbon Emissions (lbs CO2) .74 0
Fuel Cost $.25 $0
Time 5 min 7 min

 

Walmart Run

On the way back to campus, the student passes someone driving to Walmart. About a ten minute drive from their home on the west side of Decorah, it’s their third trip of the week. In their Subaru Outback, each round trip emits 4.9 lbs of CO2. With their frequent trips, their annual emissions from Walmart runs result in 770.22 lbs of CO2 emitted. 

In a hybrid Toyota Corolla, the emissions drop to 427.9 lbs per year. 

With just one trip per week in the Outback, this individual would cut their annual emissions to 256.7 lbs CO2. Once weekly in a Corolla, it’s 142.6 lbs.

 

Walmart Run:
Decorah West Side to Walmart
2023 Subaru Outback

Purchase Cost: $27,000

Toyota Corolla

Purchase cost $20,000

Per Trip Yearly, 

1 trip / week

Yearly, 

3x / week

Per Trip Yearly, 

1 trip / week

Yearly, 

3x / week

Carbon Emissions (lbs CO2) 4.9 lbs 256.7 lbs 770.22 lbs 2.74 lbs 142.63 lbs 427.9 lbs

 

Admittedly, these numbers are small in the context of global emissions. Seeing headlines about billionaires and their private jets, and companies evading environmental regulations, it might be easy to think our choices are trivial. No one individual’s decision to reduce their grocery store trips or bike to work will save the planet. But we have to start somewhere.

It’s not about shaming car drivers; it would be almost impossible to get by in today’s world without these machines – especially in rural Iowa. It’s about making the choice to plan our car trips to reduce unnecessary driving time, and walking or biking when practical for us for the benefit of our environment, our budget, and our health. Making these decisions empowers us, and gives us the satisfaction that we have done something, however small. Walk/Bike Month may be wrapping up, but pedestrian travel doesn’t have to end. Join us at Winneshiek Energy District, Upper Explorerland and the City of Decorah in walking and biking all summer long!

 

Written by Jacob Bruns, WalkBike Intern, Spring 2026



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