Cars travel in the north and southbound lanes of I-75 under the Ringgold Road overpass in East Ridge.TAKE A GREEN TRIPTo sign up for Green Trips, visit www.greentripscha.org.BY THE NUMBERSGreen Trips aims to reduce the number of vehicle miles traveled over Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia over the next three years. The estimated reductions are as follows:* 12,981,000: Estimated daily miles traveled in Hamilton, Walker, Dade and Catoosa counties.* 194,716 miles: First-year reduction goal* 389,431 miles: Second-year goal* 649,052 miles: Third-year goalSource: Chattanooga-Hamilton County-North Georgia Transportation Planning Organization
Too many people drive alone in their cars in Southeastern Tennessee and North Georgia, and a new program hopes to change that, a Chattanooga transportation official said.
“We’re trying to shift some of those trips,” said Melissa Taylor, coordinator for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County-North Georgia Transportation Planning Organization.
Green Trips encourages people to get out of their cars and walk, ride bikes or take shuttles to destinations. It kicks off today.
Participants register on a website and log times they bike, shuttle, walk or carpool. The reward is a chance to win prizeses.