Imagine how nice it would be to get a reward every time you rode your bike, walked instead of drove or carpooled with a friend to work.
That's exactly what a new program called Green Trips aims to do. Provided by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Transportation Planning Organization that aims to decrease traffic and improve local air quality, the Web-based education and incentives program will provide people with a gift card at the end of the month if they reach a certain number of points by taking "green trips."
"We want to encourage people to try other transportation options and it can be anything other than driving alone in a car," said Green Trips Coordinator Jenny Park, adding that telecommuting, walking, carpooling, compressed workweeks, biking and public transportation all count as alternative methods. "We are very much a growing region and we want to continue to be able to accommodate that growth. We also want to make people more aware of how to get around."
The goal of the program is not to force people to behave differently, but to experiment with different transportation options so people can see which ones they might like to stick with even after the three-year incentive program is over, said Park.
"A lot of people don't realize the amount of time it takes to bike, walk or take the shuttle can be less than driving and parking," she said. "The convenience factor is hidden from a lot of people because there's just a tendency to swallow that parking time and cost."
For those who must drive, a ride-matching component of Green Trips will help people interested in carpooling find others who might be good partners. Once formally launched June 20, the program will provide a Web interface where people can log on, enter their start address, destination address, general schedule and how much flexibility they have within their schedule. Other preferences include smoker vs. nonsmoker, whether or not people want to be the passenger or driver and an option to ride with a person of the same gender. After that information has been entered, Park said the system will generate matches for people whose profiles match and provide them with a messaging interface.
While anyone who takes trips in Hamilton County or North Georgia is encouraged to participate, Park said a big component of the program will be including employers who use Green Trips to supplement existing green or wellness initiatives.
"Employers can offer rewards in addition to those offered by the program," said Park. "It makes it a stronger rewards program."
For more information or to recommend your employer for the program, contact Park at park_jenny@chattanooga.gov.