Would You Drive Less if There Were Prizes Involved?

Saving the Earth and being more green are all the rage these days—but when it comes to giving up conveniences like our plastic bags and, especially, driving our cars, it can become quite a challenge to stay motivated enough to make the necessary sacrifices.

With all of the time spent driving to work, taking the kids to and from school and going to the grocery store, the dry cleaners or a restaurant for lunch—it’s true, leaving the car at home and walking, riding a bike or taking the bus can double the amount of time those trips take.

But could you find the motivation to do it if there were prizes involved?

Earth Day is Friday, and that means the Drive Less Challenge is on! Cities all across the Bay Area will compete against each other to see who can save the most miles by walking, biking or taking alternative transportation over a two-week period from this Friday, through May 5.

"I was tired of hearing that our CO2 emissions problems are almost insurmountable in terms of scale and cost,” said coordinator Bret Anderson, of Palo Alto’s decision to enter the challenge. “The reality is that most emissions reductions will come from simple changes in our behavior and values. With the Drive Less Challenge in Palo Alto, we're demonstrating that approach—people can move to more sustainable transportation habits, and have fun, stay healthy, save money and help the local economy."

“Even taking one less trip per week by car is progress in the right direction,” said GreenTown Los Altos’ Karen Janowski, the representative for Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. “For GreenTown Los Altos, one of our top initiatives is to reduce the number of vehicle trips in town.”

Local cities participating in the challenge include Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos and Menlo Park. Already, in just the past few years the challenge has taken place, the positive impacts on the environment are showing significant results.

In 2009, 120 participants in Menlo Park, where the challenge originated, replaced more than 5,000 car miles with alternative “green” trips, reducing local CO2 emissions by more than two tons. In 2010, 280 participants in four communities replaced 29,000 miles, the equivalent of taking 55 cars off the road.

Now, in 2011, the challenge’s third year, there are a whopping 13 communities participating, and organizers expect a substantial increase in both the number of participants and the number of “green miles” logged.

How can you participate? If your city is on the list of those participating—which can be found on the Drive Less Challenge website—you can sign up either as an individual or as a local team. Local teams can be made up of anyone, such as a group from your office, your church, your mom’s club, or even just a group of friends or family members.

Then, for each mile you travel by any method other than your car, calculate the number of miles “saved” and enter it under your name or your group’s name on the Drive Less Challenge website.

Your miles will count toward your city’s total and also toward your individual total, making you eligible for prizes.

“The Drive Less Challenge’s unique online tool makes it a fun experience, where you can track your trips, see how you're doing compared to friends and neighbors, and see how your community is doing against others,” said Adina Levin, member of the Menlo Park Green Ribbon Citizens’ Committee and founder of the Drive Less Challenge.

Participants can follow along and share their experiences with friends and colleagues on Facebook and on Twitter at "@driveless." An awards ceremony will take place May 21, 7-9 p.m., at in Menlo Park. Prizes will be donated by businesses in each participating city, such as gift certificates to local restaurants and shops.

The Drive Less Challenge also has a handful of generous sponsors this year, such as Microsoft, Specialized Bicycle Components, Interactive Sciences Inc. and Valley Transportation Authority. A new major sponsor this year, Google, just signed on Monday to support the cause.

The Drive Less Challenge has room for more major sponsors and more businesses to donate prizes—and, of course, for more challenge-takers. To sponsor or donate, email drivelesschallenge@gmail.com. To view the full list of participating cities or to sign up for the challenge, visit drivelesschallenge.com.