Join Kansas City’s effort to improve air quality this summer by competing in the Green Commute Challenge to reduce emissions by taking the bus, bike, streetcar, carpool, walking or telecommuting to work.
This friendly competition helps improve air quality during the time of year that traditionally produces the highest ozone levels. Air quality is most vulnerable during the summer months when heat, sunlight and emissions combine in the atmosphere to create ozone. The Green Commute Challenge encourages work places to form an employee team and find alternatives to driving for their daily work commutes. Individuals can also register.
The 10th annual Green Commute Challenge will be held from June 1 to August 31. Participating commuters will be able to access an online tool to track activities that reduce driving miles and show the reduced emissions and money saved.
New this year, participants can identify carpool partners, find bike and bus routes, and log their trips using the RideshareKC smartphone app.
“We hear from participants each year that the Green Commute Challenge is a great motivator for exploring commute options,” said Amanda Graor, air quality program manager for the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC). “Changing your commuting habits may seem difficult, but we offer lots of tools and resources that we hope make it easier to consider alternative transportation.”
In 2016, 44 teams with 640 participants logged 45,553 trips, preventing 431,044 pounds of emissions and saving $111,056 in driving costs during the Green Commute Challenge.
The challenge is a partnership between MARC’s RideshareKC and Air Quality programs and a new partner, RideKC, the region’s transit provider.
Registration for the Green Commute Challenge is open until July 7. To get started, register a company team or individual at www.ridesharekc.org.