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WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Every day, hundreds of Whatcom County residents rely on a car, bike or mode of public transportation to get from place to place.
The Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) established the Smart Trips website in 2006 to aid in their efforts to combat commuter impacts on climate change. The program, which is a part of the Whatcom Council of Governments, incentivizes commuters to walk, bike, carpool or take the bus through education and encouragement.
Smart Trips is an online journal where people can log these trips. The mission is to get more cars off the road and mitigate the climate impacts of the short trips people often use a car for. Participant outings do not need to meet a certain distance, as smart trippers can record any length of sustainable movement.
Since 2006, some early-on participants have logged over 5,000 sustainable trips. And as the program approaches its 20th anniversary, it continues to see new users looking to get involved.
“It feels good to know that people are still engaged and think [the program] is important,” says Michelle Grandy, WTA Smart Trips Program manager. “We know a lot of people who make Smart Trips don’t log them too, but that’s fine. The incentive program is simply about getting people to do it enough so that they change their habits and behavior.”
As Smart Trippers log their commutes, they have the opportunity to be entered in a monthly prize drawing to win a $250 prize if they enter five or more trips each month or a $1,000 prize quarterly. For every 100 trips commuters record, they receive a coupon in the mail.
Prizes range from a Mallard’s double-scoop cone, half dozen bagels from the Bagelry or dessert at Colophon Cafe to Smart Trips tumblers, shopping bags and t-shirts. The program prefers to work with local businesses to reward participants, hoping they will feel good about receiving a prize for a local business they enjoy and support.
“There are also studies that have shown people who bike or walk past a business are more likely to frequent that business than somebody who just drives by,” Grandy said. “When local businesses support Smart Trips efforts, they’re supporting the community and themselves.”
Smart Trips also distributes a discount card each year when people log their first 10 trips. The card can be used at businesses all over Whatcom County like the Lynden Skateway, ReStore, Community Food Co-op and Hardware Sales.
The program seeks to be a resource for anybody and offers free bicycle classes for individuals who want to explore the idea of bicycle commuting but aren’t sure of the kind of gear they need, which routes to take or what the rules of the road are. Classes are one-on-one and offer room for special accommodations.
Smart Trips provides information on bus and walking routes, and the program is looking for ways to foster rideshare connections. Grandy wants to make sure the community knows that the program is always looking to help people explore new modes of transportation.
Sign up to participate in Smart Trips through their website, where you can also find free resources including bike maps, tips for walking and riding safely, and brochures about introducing Smart Trips to your children. To create an account with Smart Trips you must be over 14 years of age and commute to or within the Whatcom County area.