Ditch the car today. Heck, ditch it all week.

Today kicks off Commute Another Way Week, and Friday is National Bike to Work Day. This week is a great time to car pool, bike or even walk to work or school.

The folks at GoMaine have been plugging this week as a good opportunity not only be green for the environment, but save some green for yourself. Who doesn’t want to save money on gasoline? Can you find one person who isn’t complaining about paying more than $3.60 per gallon of gas?

More than 500 employers and 5,000 commuters in Maine have helped cut traffic in one day by 11,400 car rides, three tons of pollution and 4,600 gallons of gasoline, according to the Web site www.gomaine.org.

We won’t get into how much money that is, but it’s more than the Kennebec Commuter’s car is worth.

While Commute Another Way Week is supposed to incorporate an element of fun, this year’s observation is a little more grim, Carey Kish from GoMaine said. “What we’re seeing in Maine is that people are hurting (financially),” Kish said. “They’re looking for alternatives because the bills for gas are piling up.”

Kish said carpooling programs — which you loyal readers will remember are growing substantially from previous columns — have become so popular, GoMaine has doubled the number of vehicles in its programs.

While car or vanpooling has not been considered mainstream in the past decade (except in Dagwood Bumstead’s case), Kish said he was pleased to report aside from doubling the vehicle numbers, car and vanpooling programs are being expanded statewide into Washington, Aroostook, and Hancock counties.

And some larger companies in the Pine Tree State are getting the hint their worker bees might be hurting at the pump while also trying to make ends meet.

“We’ve definitely have had some major employers call us, asking for transit opportunities for their employees,” Kish said.

“This isn’t just in southern Maine, either. This is a trend we’re starting to see all over Maine,” Kish added.

Pooling isn’t the only means of transportation Kish said is on the rise.

“I’ve spoken with many merchants who said an increasing amount of people are coming in asking for bicycles,” he said. “And not mountain bikes or anything fancy, but just a regular bike for good, solid transportation.”

Finally, if you live within reasonable distance, consider hitting the streets and walking to work or school one day this week.

Seeing as how the weather these days has been mostly agreeable — thanks, Mother Nature! — a brisk walk to the office is a great way to get in some exercise and enjoy the sunshine. Now just look out for those pesky black flies.

“People are changing their lives,” Kish said. “They have to.”

For more information on Commute Another Way Week, log onto www.gomaine.org

Follow Meghan Malloy’s commuter blog and track the cheapest gasoline prices in town daily at www.kjonline.com