It may be second nature to grab a cup of coffee, hop in your car, and head to work. But a challenge put on by NOACA is looking to switch up your routine and change the way you get to where you’re going by encouraging people to use alternative modes of transportation.
NOACA’s annual Lake Erie Go Car(bon) Free Challenge aims to reduce emissions by having people in Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, and Medina counties take alternative modes of transportation, including biking, transit, walking, and carpooling. The goal of the challenge, which lasts all October, is to reduce carbon emissions.
In order to be entered to win prizes, people need to log their trips using alternative modes of transportation on the Gohio Commute website, which NOACA calls “a premier ride planning, matching, and logging tool.” The prizes are sponsored by Bike Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, Laketran, and University Circle, Inc.
“We're the region's advocacy group for people on bicycles and pedestrians,” said Jason Kuhn, communications and events with Bike Cleveland. “So we're working for, you know, safer streets for when you're on your bike, safer crossings for pedestrians, and just working to kind of change the mode shift of how people move throughout the city. Working towards making things a little more car free - like a broader range of ways you can move throughout the city safely and conveniently.”
Kuhn said that challenges like this one are built to get people to change their habits, encouraging people to try a new mode of transportation like riding your bike or walking, especially for shorter trips.
“These challenges are meant to give you a way to - maybe some incentives to try something different, get in that habit, and realize it doesn't take as long as you think it’s going to take, or it’s more fun than you think, or it’s easier than you think,” he said. “So it's that little extra push to get people going in the right direction.”
According to NOACA, the Gohio Commute website has information to help travelers “make smart travel choices—to save money, improve your health, and improve air quality.”
For more information, head to the Gohio Commute webpage.