Commute Green in the San Joaquin
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District
(SJVAPCD) is proud to sponsor the
Commute
Green
in the San Joaquin
Challenge to encourage employees to reduce their emissions by ridesharing or using alternative methods of transportation.
- The Commute Green in the San Joaquin Challenge runs from September 14-18, 2009.
- Organizations that wish to participate must register by September 10, 2009. For
registration inquiries, concerns or late registration please contact Yvette Ciotti by phone
at (559) 230-5800 or via e-mail to yvette.ciotti@valleyair.org.
- An organization with multiple locations can have a separate team for each location, each competing within their own category. (This can also be used to promote some fun internal competition!)
- Teams will be divided into three categories:
- Small: 5-20 employees.
- Medium: 21-100 employees
- Large: More than 100 employees.
- Participating teams will only compete with other teams within the same category.
- Prior to registration, the team captain must receive authorization from their management to participate in the Commute Green in the San Joaquin Challenge and to act on behalf of their organization.
- Each team captain is to complete the registration form prior to the September 10, 2009
deadline. They will also be responsible for completing the Participation Form
for each day of the Commute Green
in the
San Joaquin Challenge.
- Organizations are encouraged to take photographs of their team participants and submit them to the SJVAPCD via e-mail at
weberip@valleyair.org.
- Organizations must be located within the SJVAPCD. This includes San Joaquin County, Stanislaus County, Merced County, Fresno County, Kings County, Tulare County, and the San Joaquin Valley portion of Kern County.
- Participants in the Commute Green in the San Joaquin Challenge can only submit their points under one organization.
- All participants must be 18 years of age or older.
- All participants are required to follow California Law in regards to their method of transportation. For those riding their bikes, helmets are required.
- Each day of the event, the team captain will report the number of employees that participated in each cateogry listed below for their organizational team and the points earned for the day. Points are calculated as follows:
- Carpooling=1 point
- Transit/VanPool=2 points
- Bicycling, electric scooter, walking=3 points
- Participants must commute at least 50% of the way to and from work using some method of ridesharing or alternative transportation other than a single occupancy vehicle in order to be counted.
- If a participant uses more than one form of alternative transportation, the particpation method and points are allocated to the method covering the highest percentage of the commute. In the event of equal participation, the higher point value should be used.
For example:
- Riding the bus for 3 miles to work and biking the final mile to work would count under the Transit/Vanpool category and 2 points would be earned, since the Transit counts for the majority of the commute. If this same participant carpools to return home, the category would change to Carpooling, since that is now the majority of the total commute, and only 1 point would be allocated for their participation.
- Riding your bike to work and returning home on the bus would count as biking to and from work, earning 3 points, as each methods accounts for half of the total commute
- Low-emission options, such as driving a hybrid or CNG vehicle, do not count as an alternative method unless it is being used for carpooling; the goal is to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles.
- Being dropped off does not count unless the driver is also headed to work and commutes at least 50% of their trip as well.
- The organization in each category with the highest cumulative percent points for the week wins their category.
- In the event of a tie, the organization that had the greatest percentage of employees using a zero-emission alternative (Bike, walk, electric scooter, etc.) to commute for the week will win.
If you have any questions regarding these tools, please contact Yvette Ciotti either by phone at (559) 230-5800 or email at
yvette.ciotti@valleyair.org.
- Give carpooling a trial run for a month. Pair with another employee and add others over time.
- Communicate with your carpool group. Let them know if you are running late and give them ample notice if you can not carpool on a particular day.
- Respect any restrictions the carpool group has set in regards to eating, smoking, drinking, or cell phone use.
- Make it a habit to be on time.
- Make sure your bike is tuned up and ready to go.
- Select a route. Many cities have bike route maps.
- Use public transportation for a break if needed.
- Wear the correct safety equipment.
- Perform a test run so you will know how long it takes to bike to work.
- Be safe and ride with a buddy.
:
A template of text, graphics, and links you can use in an e-mail to your employees
to help them prepare to Commute Green in the San Joaquin!
:
General information about the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and our mission
to promote Healthy Air Living.