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For Andy Shultz, a Way to Go! Club member and city employee, the perks of the program go beyond just earning prizes. It’s about the impact he’s making on the environment, the cost savings and just getting outside. “It’s lots of benefits all rolled into one,” he said./Photo by Steve Eginoire |
Get up and go
City launches Way to Go! Club to encourage sustainable transit
by Tracy Chamberlin
Some are shooting for the Princeton Tec headlamp at 10,000. Others might be going after the Osprey backpack for 20,000. Of course, the real appeal could be the squeaky bike horn designed to look like a Sumo wrestler ready to hit the mats for only 1,000.
Whether it’s the 10,000-point milestone prize or spending 1,000 points at the store, there’s something for every member racking up points with the city’s new Way to Go! Club.
“We’re one of the first communities in the U.S. that has this,” said Durango’s Multi Modal Administrator Amber Blake.
The program, which works like airline mileage programs with rewards and incentives for travel, is all about promoting sustainable transportation. The more miles racked up biking, walking, carpooling and taking the trolley or other types of Durango transit, the more points, prizes and gifts members can earn.
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Blake said having high-quality prizes is an incentive for members not only to sign up but to keep up to date with their trips. It’s certainly one that’s working for Andy Shultz, who’s shooting for the headlamp and, eventually, the Osprey pack.
Shultz, a Way to Go! Club member and city employee, said he’s impressed with the quality of prizes offered, calling them “amazing.” But the perks of the program go beyond just getting that headlamp.
For him, it’s about the impact on the environment, the savings and just getting outside. “It’s lots of benefits all rolled into one,” he added.
Shultz first learned about the club through his job with the city’s Water Department. Blake rolled out the program just before the first of the year with city workers like Shultz acting as testers, offering feedback and helping to find the bugs in the system. But, Shultz admits he would have joined the club anyway.
According to Blake, things are going great and overall the program is working smoothly. The one thing that hasn’t been smooth is the mobile interface.
She explained that the system doesn’t work well on mobile devices like smart phones, something the city is looking to change. “That’s definitely on the punch list for the future,” she added.
Blake recommends potential members complete the sign-up process on a computer.
For those who are interested, Blake and Shultz said signing up is simple. Shultz suggests taking the time during 4 the initial set up to enter all the information about commutes and daily trips.
Once he entered the details of his commute, he said it takes him just two clicks to log in his daily miles. Schultz lives in Durango and uses the Animas River Trail to commute to Bodo Park on his bike.
He does own a car, but the choice to bike is win-win. He said it’s easy to find an excuse to drive, but he wants to keep his numbers up. After all, that headlamp is just a few thousand points away.
The milestones and awards though aren’t just for individuals to pursue. Businesses are also encouraged to sign up.
The program offers businesses commuter planning help, a web page to track rewards for employees and recognition in the Durango community. It would also make recording trips and miles easier during Clean Commute Week, scheduled for the end of June. Data would be automatically tracked for the event’s competitions, making it easier to participate.
However, if the business has not signed up, individuals can’t list their employers. They would need to participate as individuals until their employer completes the process.
The program is open to residents of any age. The only requirement is that the member must either live, work, volunteer or attend school within the city limits.
The city was looking to sign up 250 people by the end of the year. With almost 100 on board already, that goal is within reach. “I know we’ll hit that,” Blake said.
Shultz is helping reach that number by recruiting more people, starting in his own home. He encouraged his wife to join the Way to Go! Club. She’s been racking up the points by walking about eight blocks to work downtown and even back home for lunch.
The other goal, according to Blake, is to save 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions in the first year simply by choosing sustainable transportation over driving alone. Currently, the total is 5,292 tons. And, again, that’s just in the first two months of the program.
Each night the system updates the numbers, so anyone can see the impact the program is making. For now, those riding bikes to work, to run errands, or for appointments or social events are leading the CO2 pack with almost 2,200 tons saved. In second place is the carpooling crowd with almost 1,800 tons.
That’s why it’s not just about signing up, Blake said. It’s about being active in the program.
One incentive to keep members going is the monthly raffle. Each time a member logs a trip into the system he or she earns one entry. On the 10th of each month, a prize is raffled off.
The prize awarded on Feb. 10 was a $25 gift card to Season’s Rotisserie and Grill. For the March drawing, an Iron Horse Bicycle Classic Quarter Horse registration for two is up for grabs. Blake said the more trips a member logs, the better his or her chances of winning.
Those raffles are in addition to the yearly and lifetime milestone gifts, like the headlamp and backpacks, as well as items that can be bought with points at the store like the squeaky Sumo wrestler.
Lobbing more potential loot onto the pile, the city is adding another raffle. Those who sign up with the Way to Go! Club by the end of March will get one entry. The top prize this time is a Cannondale Quick 6 bike donated by Hassle Free Sports.
Other partners offering up prizes for the store, raffles or milestone awards include klean kanteen, Planet Bike, Sock Guy, Durango Mountain Resort, Animas Trading Co., Body of Work and Sunnyside Farms.
“If you’re on the fence, hopefully it provides an extra boost,” Shultz said.