RIDE Smart Challenge, an annual event hosted by RIDE Solutions, has officially begun. The goal of the Challenge, which takes place throughout the entire month of October, is to take 100,000 miles off the road via ridesharing, walking, biking, transit, or telecommuting. The RIDE Smart Challenge offers the potential for far greater rewards in addition to the standard rewards offered through the RIDE Solutions app, which continue to accumulate for every trip you log during this month-long campaign. Read on to learn more!
To participate in the RIDE Smart Challenge, all you need to do is to keep on doing what you’ve been doing – logging trips! In addition to earning points for every green trip you log, weekly drawings will take place throughout the month, enabling anyone who logs trips to win prizes including gift certificates, RIDE Solutions swag, and more! But that’s not all! At the end of the RIDE Smart Challenge, a RIDE Solutions prize pack will be awarded to the RIDE Solutions member who logs the most trips; the prize pack will consist of either a $100 Amazon gift card OR a gift card of equal value to the small business of your choice. Therefore, log every green trip you take, whether it’s back and forth to work, the grocery store, a medical trip, or another destination! In addition to individuals competing to earn the most total trips, area organizations will compete as well!
How does it work?
If you’ve already registered with RIDE Solutions and you have the app, simply keep doing what you’re doing, but do more of it when opportunities present themselves! If you don’t yet have the free RIDE Solutions app, just go to ridesolutions.org and download it to your personal device, or create an account through your computer. You can also follow the event’s progress and the impact it’s having on the region on the RIDE Solutions website.
Why RIDE Smart?
Every mile not driven benefits our region and Southwest Virginia in numerous ways:
- Less smog and particulate matter introduced into the air, which can cause or aggravate breathing problems.
- Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions – one gallon of gas results in about 24 pounds of greenhouse gases.
- About $0.90 of every $1 spent on gas leaves the local economy. Driving less and walking, biking, carpooling, and taking transit more often means more money stays in our local economy.
- Walking and biking to work, shopping, worship, a medical trip, or any other destination burns calories instead of gas and promotes health. The more we stay active, the healthier we become, and the less likely we are to develop conditions such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or cancer.
Ways to RIDE Smart
There are multiple ways to RIDE Smart this month, and these are the most common:
- Use your RIDE Solutions app to match with others commuting to and from work.
- Use public transit to commute to work, shopping, medical, or other trips.
- Piedmont Area Regional Transit (PART) serves the City of Martinsville and Henry County Monday – Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. More information is available at http://www.martinsville-va.gov/residents/bus-system-p-a-r-t.
- Danville Regional Transit serves the City of Danville with fixed-route and Handivan service Monday – Saturday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Reserve-A-Ride service provides personalized service during many hours that fixed-route transit is unavailable. The Averett Cougar Express operates between Averett University’s Main Campus and North Campus. Please visit https://www.danville-va.gov/508/Mass-Transit for more details about these services.
- If you live within close proximity to shopping, work, or other destinations, walking will allow you to qualify for the RIDE Smart Challenge.
- Bicycling to work or other destinations is yet another way to RIDE Smart this month.
- Finally, if you have the option of telecommuting, this qualifies you for the RIDE Smart Challenge as well!
