GREEN TRIPS FAST FACTSWhat: Web-based education and incentives program to encourage reductions in vehicle miles traveledHow it works: Offers rewards and incentives such as restaurant, retail and entertainment discounts for trips made by foot, bike, transit or other alternatives to driving aloneHow much: Three-year pilot will cost $475,000 in federal funds with a local match of $52,760Source: Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Transportation Planning Organization
If folks won’t leave their cars parked and walk somewhere just out of civic virtue, maybe they’ll do it for money.
That’s the logic behind Green Trips, a pilot program coming to Chattanooga via a federal grant aimed at improving air quality.
Green Trips will reward people for walking, biking, using transit or carpooling rather than driving alone each day to work or on errands. Prizes could be things such as discounts for restaurants, entertainment and retail, cash prizes or electronic gadgets.
“I think we all know we’re going to keep vehicles around, but we’ll have an alternative,” said Melissa Taylor, director of long-range planning for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency and its transportation planning division.