Commuter Challenge Overview and Rules

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getDowntown Commuter Challenge Overview & Rules

Get more out of your commute!  The getDowntown Commuter Challenge is a friendly competition between local businesses and organizations to see who can log the most sustainable commutes throughout from May 1-May 31, 2008.

The goals for the Commuter Challenge are to:

•  Encourage more commuters to use sustainable modes of transportation.  Getting over the hurdle of trying something for the 1st time can be the biggest challenge for many people.

• Recognize the group of commuters already using sustainable modes of transportation and help them encourage others to do the same.

• Identify winning organizations as “Commuter Friendly” to recognize and support their efforts.

• Have fun!  Win prizes! 

Commuter Challenge Rules

1. Organizations compete against like-sized organizations. If you are a larger organization (100+ employees), we do allow you to split apart and register as a specific division or department. Organizational size categories are:

1 employee                                 25-99 employees

2-9 employees                          100 -499 employees

10-24 employees                      500+ employees

2. Log sustainable commutes and miles on our online commute log: http://www.getdowntown.org/programs/commuter/index.html

Every registered organization will have a login to the Commuter Challenge.  If you forget your login, please have the Team Leader (the person who signed up the organization for the Commuter Challenge) contact getDowntown by phone or email.  That login will allow individuals to log their commutes (either by the day or by the week) into the commute log. We also have paper forms for organizations & employees that do not have access to the Internet.  These forms are included in this packet. 

Definition of a Sustainable Commute. A sustainable commute is a commute to and from work on a given day that involves a sustainable mode of transportation.  Sustainable modes of transportation include walking, biking, busing, carpooling/vanpooling, mopeding/motorcycling, telecommuting, using a longboard/skateboard, etc.  For example, if you carpool with someone else from your office to work, that would be a sustainable commute.  If you drive to a Park and Ride Lot and then ride the bus or bike to work, you would count the bus or bike trip as your sustainable commute.  If you are unsure if your commute is sustainable, please contact us.

Telecommuting Rules: You can log telecommuting miles if it is eliminating a trip to office for you. If you live in New York & work for an Ann Arbor office, you cannot participate in this challenge. You must be able to commute to your workplace on a daily basis.

Commute Log Rules: All miles must be submitted by June 6th.  Log only trips to & from work & any errands along the way. Bike rides to the store on the weekend are great, but do not count for the Commuter Challenge

How an Organization can Win the Commuter Challenge.   The organization with the highest participation in the Commuter Challenge in their organizational category wins!  If there is a tie for the highest participation, the organization with the most points averaged over the number of full time employee equivalents will win.  For the 1 person organization, the winner will be declared based on points. To be considered a participant in the Commuter Challenge, you must have used a sustainable mode of transportation for your commute at least once during the month of May.

 For more information call or email getDowntown at 734.214.0100 or getdowntown@annarborchamber.org