GREEN COMMUTE CHALLENGE
Rules
During the challenge, participants are encouraged to use alternative modes as often as possible for work-related trips — such as riding the bus to work, carpooling to lunch or walking to a meeting.
How to earn points
How to use the Commute Calendar
Multimodal trips
Staying in for lunch
Your competitors
What's new this year
How to earn points
Participants will earn 8 points every time they report one of these modes or activities:
- carpool
- vanpool
- bus
- bicycle
- walk
- telecommute
Staying in for lunch will earn 1 point.
Any alternative transportation trips made on Ozone Alert days earn double points!
Participants are expected to be accurate and honest in reporting their alternative transportation trips.
How to use the Commute Calendar
- Sign in to your RideShare Connection account.
- On your My Page tab, click on "Log Your Commutes" to get to the Commute Calendar where you can record your alternative transportation trips.
- In the first drop-down menu, select the trip type.
- Next, select the trip purpose from the drop-down menu:
- work commute
- work event
- lunch
(NOTE: Non-work commute option will not earn points!)
- Make sure the round-trip distance is correct (1 mile is the default for staying in for lunch).
- Click on the mode you used and then click on the date you are logging the trip.
Participants must report the accurate length of their trips. The database assumes entries are round-trips, so there is no need to log the other half of the trip. The calendar automatically updates every time you log a trip
| EXAMPLE DAY: Clyde takes the bus 10 miles to work. He stays in for lunch and then takes the bus one mile to an off-site meeting that afternoon. Here is what Clyde will report for that day on his Commute Calendar: | |
| Work commute - bus | 8 points, 20 miles round-trip |
| Lunch - stayed in | 1 point |
| Work event - bus | 8 points, 1 mile |
TOTAL |
17 points |
Multimodal trips
Participants who use more than one mode for their work commute — such as bicycle/bus or walking/bus — may report that in the challenge, provided the bicycling or walking trip is at least one mile round-trip. To do that, report each mode as a separate work commute trip and log the round-trip distance of each leg.
| EXAMPLE DAY: Gary rides his bike a mile and a half to his bus stop, then takes the bus 15 miles to work. He walks with some co-workers to a restaurant a little over a half mile from his office for lunch. Here is what Gary will report for that day on his Commute Calendar: | |
| Work commute - bus | 8 points, 20 miles round-trip |
| Work commute - bike | 8 points, 3 miles round-trip |
| Lunch - walk | 8 points, 1 mile round-trip |
TOTAL |
24 points |
Staying in for lunch
On your Commute Calendar there is a separate button for staying in for lunch, so you can log it the same way you log other trips.
Your competitors
Compete on a team with co-workers against other companies in the Kansas City area. Team point totals and miles of reduced driving will be listed online.
Throughout the challenge, the top 10 teams will be listed on each participant's Commute Challenge page. The top 10 will be determined by the ratio of the number of points to the number of team members.
Have questions? Email us or call 816/842-7433.
MONTHLY features for 2013
There are two major changes to the contest this year. First, the Green Commute Challenge has been extended by a month, from June 3–Aug. 30, 2013. We hope this extra month will enable more employers and employees to get involved, particularly those who have never tried an alternative mode of transportation.
Each month will have a theme:
- June – Take Care of Our Air. The hot summer months in Kansas City tend to be when the air quality is most vulnerable to ozone and other pollutants. Challenge participants will receive tips about actions they can take to minimize ozone pollution and will have a chance to sign up to receive the daily Skycast forecast.
- July – Make Connections. Alternative forms of transportation like riding the bus and carpooling have an often-overlooked benefit: they provide a new way to meet people and make friends. During July, we will celebrate the social (and stress reducing) aspects of alternative transportation.
- August – Get Moving. Many people choose an alternative to driving to help get more exercise into their day. Challenge participants will be encouraged to incorporate walking and bicycling into their work routines whenever possible.
Sub-challenges
We know that many companies within similar industries keep close track of each other during the Green Commute Challenge. This year we will be offering sub-challenges to organizations who want to be included in a particular grouping. Results for these groups will be tabulated and shared weekly, and at the conclusion we will recognize the top performer in each group. Sub-challenge groups will include:
- Architecture / engineering / construction
- Banking
- Education
- Health care
- Legal
- Local government / nonprofit
June 3–Aug. 30, 2013
Share your stories and photos with us! Use hashtag #gcckc.
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OUR IMPACT
The Green Commute Challenge ended on Sept. 28, 2012, with 30 teams and 970 participants who:
- Reduced their driving by 796,678 miles
- Prevented 768,589 pounds of emissions
- Saved $167,302 in driving costs
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