The Ride Smart Challenge is a Great Opportunity for You to Try a new Travel Mode for Your Commute, and Win Prizes (and Earn Rewards)!

RIDE Solutions is about to kick off one of its most popular annual events, the Ride Smart Challenge!  The goal of the Ride Smart Challenge is to eliminate 1,000 driving trips from the roads during the event’s time frame, which begins this Wednesday, April 20th and ends May 4th.  The Ride Smart Challenge is a great opportunity for you to win a variety of prizes just for logging trips for your daily commute.

The Ride Smart Challenge is an opportunity for commuters to try a form of travel aside from driving alone at least once during the two-week period.  So, what constitutes an alternate form of travel?  Eligible forms of alternative travel include carpooling, vanpooling, riding public transit, bicycling, and walking; telework/telecommuting is also included as an eligible mode.  Whenever you use one of these modes and log it into the RIDE Solutions app, you’ll become eligible to win a prize!

Not only is the Ride Smart Challenge a great way to take 1,000 auto trips off the roads during the Challenge period while having the opportunity to win prizes, but it will provide you with opportunities to try different forms of travel to get to work, which can yield other benefits.  Perhaps you live in or very close to a town or city center such as Danville, Martinsville, Rocky Mount, or Stuart, and your workplace is just a short walk or bike ride away.  Walking or biking will save you money on gas that you would have otherwise used for your trip, and you’ll be getting exercise in the process.  Using the option to telework will enable you to avoid travel altogether, which will enable you to save money you would have otherwise used for gas, as well as to forgo wear-and-tear on your vehicle.  Riding transit or carpooling with someone will likewise save you money, vehicle wear-and-tear, and will give you some time on your commute to relax or catch up on things.

Prizes during the two-week Ride Smart Challenge will include the following:

  • Contest winner: $100 gift card for the individual who registers the greatest number of alternative trips between April 20th and May 4th.
  • A $25 gift card will be raffled off on April 25th (for Earth Day); those who log alternative means of travel from April 20 – 22 will be eligible.
  • Whoever logs at least one bike trip between May 1 – 4 (Bike Month) will be eligible to win a prize.
  • The organization that registers the most individuals during the two-week period will win a prize.

Signing up for the RIDE Solutions app automatically makes you a RIDE Solutions member, and not only will logging trips get you closer to winning a prize during the Ride Smart Challenge, but you will also accrue 1,000 points as a gift just for signing up, and you will earn 100 points for each trip logged thereafter!  These points can be used for a number of different benefits.  First, you can use them for discounts on shopping (online or in stores), dining, services, or activities (entertainment), or for raffle drawings which enable you to win sizable gift cards which are typically in the amount of $50 or $100.  And since we are government-funded, RIDE Solutions is always free, so you’ll never pay anything to download, use, or benefit from the app; the only cost may be an informal agreement between you and a carpooler to chip in for gas or, in the case of a vanpool, monthly fees associated with that vanpool operation.  Download the app today at www.ridesolutions.org to learn more and to sign up!  The only information you’ll need to provide is your first name, last name, email address, and password.  That’s it and you’re good to go!

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