Background
In Spring 2018, TAMC launched a Traveler Information/Rideshare Program called Go831 to help employers in Monterey County to establish or expand smart commute programs for their employees. Smart commuting means getting to and from work by means other than driving alone (carpool, vanpool, transit, bike, walk or telecommute). Each year Go831 runs a Commute Challenge to help raise awareness of the program and encourage individuals to start using the RideAmigos software platform. The goal each year is to increase the number of employers and employees participating in the Challenge, with the purpose of encouraging smart commuting over the longer-term.
2019 Go831 Smart Commute Challenge Outcomes
In 2019, the Go831 team met the goal of doubling participation in the Challenge from the previous year (106 participants in 2019 vs. 52 in 2018). Participating employers included the Monterey Bay Aquarium, City of Monterey, City of Seaside, SVMH, Hartnell, CSUMB, Monterey County Weekly, and Monterey-Salinas Transit. The City of Monterey had the highest percentage of employees participate in the Challenge and also represented the top Team category. The top individual prize went to an employee of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The 3,905 total smart commute trips taken during the Challenge resulted in:
- CO2 saved: 8.7 tons
- Money Saved: $12K (on driving costs for the participants)
- Calories burned: 0.3 Million
2020 Go831 Smart Commute Challenge
Go831 is a free program from the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) that offers a creative approach to get cars off streets and parking lots during the busiest travel times and is designed to support employer-based commuter programs. We now find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic and the majority of employed people have drastically had their commutes, among other things, altered. So too, has the opportunities of our program and as such the Go831 Smart Commute Challenge 2020.
This year, we are pleased to have the support of the Blue Zones Project. The Blue Zones Project is a global movement aimed at inspiring people to live longer, more active lives and therefore lower rates of chronic disease. The Blue Zones Project promotes sustainable, common-sense changes that encourage healthier lifestyles in Monterey County. These two ideas of smarter/healthier commuting via provided tools and resources and more active lives with sustainable, long lasting changes go hand in hand.
The October 2020 Go831 Smart Commute Challenge will run for the full month of October and is available to anyone living and/or working in Monterey County. The contest is designed to track your daily commuting habits/Trips via the Ride Amigos platform and is open to both children and adults by tracking up to four trips per day. Trips are defined as going to or coming from one location via bike ride or a walk, applied exercise/good teleworking practices and public transit. All trips must be conducted accordance with the most recent Center for Disease Control and Prevention requirements.
The pandemic has brought about a unique scenario in which many were forced into telecommuting positions. Many have found this telecommuting situation beneficial via the decreased congestion and emissions on the road ways and the saved commute time. It is widely believed that continuing the trend in teleworking in those appropriate positions is going to be encouraged in a post COVID-19 environment.
*As telework work is currently the most common method of commute, telework will be scored separately with all top scoring participants eligible to win four random $50 prizes.
Though the commute habits of the majority of the residents of Monterey County have changed, the purpose of this contest is to encourage people via prizes to either try a new commute mode (walking or biking), continue and increase their active lifestyle commutes or get better at telecommuting. This will be achieved via signing up for the Ride Amigos application, tracking their commuting habits and pledging to sustain these lifestyle changes via the Blue Zones Pledge. (All provided via an online link). As we have all essentially already changed our current commuting habits, this contest is aimed at encouraging the continuation and increasement of this change.
A great benefit of this contest to both employers and employees is for folks to get proficient at using the Ride Amigos platform to find smart commute options and to track trips for credit toward prizes. Additional benefits include encourage and possibly rewarding essential workers who are still commuting to their worksite get regular stress-relieving exercise.
The contest will be promoted through online promotion of information, some physical flyers, local media sponsorship and reaching out directly to employers at:
- Natividad Hospital
- City of Salinas
- Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital
- CSU Monterey Bay
- City of Monterey
- Starbucks
- County of Monterey
The challenge will be promoted to other employers and members of the public through email notifications, our online platforms and social media advertisements and flyers as well as our partners’ websites and media outreach. People can participate by registering for free with their email address via the Go831.rideamigos.com platform, which commits them to the Blue Zones pledge and they begin logging their first trip. A minimum of two trips logged is required for participation. Participants may compete as an individual or part of a team and can be the winning member of both. There will be prizes for the top team and individuals who earn the most points. There will also be four random drawing winners ($50) for participants who registers for the Challenge and take at least two trips.
We’ll promote this year’s challenge as truly out of this world… That is Monterey County Goes to The Moon… with the goal of tracking enough combined Walking, Biking, Transit and Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) saved by telecommuters to figuratively travel to the moon (238,900 miles).
We will receive advertising support via Blue Zones and save money on reusing last year’s poster with minimal date change updates. Prizes are to be split cost-wise with Blue Zones as well. Prize arrives via gift card to Amazon or local place of business.
Prizes are proposed as follows:
- Four Random Drawings = $200
- Four Telework Drawings= $200
- Top Team = $250
- 1st Place Individual = $250
- 2nd Place Individual = $75
- 3rd Place Individual = $50
- 2nd Place Team = $75
- 3rd Place Team = $50
TAMC staff goals for the 2020 Go831 Smart Commute are 1,000 participants with over 238,900 combined VMT saved miles via teleworking, bike, walk and transit miles.
Staff requests assistance from the Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities Advisory Committee to spread the word about the Challenge.