Capitol Mall employees exceeded the governor’s carbon reduction goal by 19 percent and saved more than $125,000 on gas during the summer-long challenge, June 1 to August 29.
“This is in addition to the carbon and dollar savings of the many employees who were already carpooling, bicycling, walking, vanpooling and taking transit to get to work before the Challenge began,” said Alison Wiley, who headed the project with Mike Krause.
The Challenge produced a 24 percent increase in community by walking, 35 percent increase by carpooling, and 100 percent increase by bicycling. In all, 593,000 pounds of carbon dioxide was saved by Capitol Mall employees, surpassing the governor’s goal of 500,000 pounds.
Almost 540,000 vehicle miles were reduced over the course of the summer.
“The success of the Challenge is partly due to the Capitol Mall area’s strong prior investments in transportation options infrastructure, such as free bus passes,” Wiley said. “Perhaps most significantly, the Challenge’s broader vision — that lifestyle change to reduce carbon emissions is possible and desirable — found widespread support among state employees.”
More than 4,500 employees accepted the challenge, eliminating 20 pounds of carbon dioxide for every gallon of gas not burned.
The August competition among agencies was based on a combination of the number of employees committed to replacing “drive-alone” trips with an alternative mode of getting to work and the pounds of carbon emissions, per capita, they reduced with their trips.
Oregon Housing and Community Services employees captured the Governor’s Commuter Challenge for medium-sized agencies after a month of low-cost, low-carbon commuting to help Oregon’s environment.
First for large-sized agencies was Oregon Department of Transportation and for small-sized agencies, the Land Use Board of Appeals.
Additionally, Wiley and Krause reported a 23 percent increase in free transit passes issued by the Smart Commuter program since the start of the Challenge.
Bus passes are free for state employees who work in the Capitol Mall area, saving users some $6,000 in gas and parking over the course of five years.
Other alternatives include Cherriots Rideshare, a program offered by the Salem-Keizer transit that connects people with the same origins, destinations and travel times. Referrals are offered for all transportation modes, including using state-designated lots for using the bus, carpooling and vanpooling. In the mix is an express bus service between Wilsonville and Salem and CARTS, a public transportation service for Marion and Polk counties serving 19 cities.
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By Mary Owen from Salem Monthly
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