UM Commuter Challenge 2023
Join ASUM Transportation, the Office of Sustainability, and Missoula in Motion in our annual commuter challenge from April 3rd to April 14th, 2023!
This competition involves departments and students competing against each other to see who can get everyone on their team to commute sustainably (just one time)! We’re not anti-car or pro-bike, it’s about exploring new commute options, and you just have to try it once to win!
Commuter Challenge Overview
Ready to level-up your commute? Join ASUM Transportation and the Office of Sustainability for the annual Commuter Challenge!
Each and every person in your department, class, cohort, or student group is a team! Getting everyone to make one sustainable commute is the challenge. One person will need to designate themselves as the captain and be responsible for generating enthusiasm and sharing resources/information with your team members.
We define sustainable commuting as reducing one single occupancy vehicle drip. This could be by carpool, bus, bike, walking, unicycling, scooting, up to you! Just make sure you log your trips on the Way to Go! Missoula Website. Everyone on your team must log at least one sustainable trip on the weekdays from April 3rd to 14th in order to win!
- Who: Students, Faculty, and Staff can all join as teams to compete in the challenge. This could include your department, class, cohort, student group, or another type of group!
- What: Everyone in your group must commute ONE time sustainably over the 2-week period and log their trip on Way to Go! Missoula
- Where: A commute is traveling to-and-from the University of Montana for school or work. This does not include errands or other trips.
- When: You can log your commute any weekday from April 3rd to April 14th.
- Why: Win cool prizes and clear the air! The winning team gets a pizza party. Most "In-To-It" team gets an ice cream party. Log your trips and get added to daily raffles. Commute sustainably every day and get $10 U-Money! All participants will be invited to the Commuter Challenge Celebration over Earth Week.
- How: Choose a team captain and get them signed up at the link here. We will get them all the information on how to get you registered for Way to Go! Missoula and start logging your trips!
Ready to get signed up?
Keep scrolling to learn all the nitty-gritty details, how to win, why it's important, and how to get started!
Commuter Challenge Info
Your team participates by using the online or app Way to Go! Missoula platform. Each person will create an account in Way to Go! Missoula and will connect to your team's workplace network. Your Commuter Challenge Captain will be able to see who has logged trips and will be able to run reports and internal raffles or challenges!
Want to be a Commuter Challenge Captain? Sign up Here!
Why should I care?
Emissions from commuting are one of the biggest contributors to poor air quality and climate change. Almost 1/3rd of all greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. A large way you can make a difference to help with your own CO2 emissions is by changing the way you commute!
- Air Quality Concerns
- It's no secret that Missoula has a history of poor air quality, from cold weather inversions in the winter and wildfire smoke in the summer. By choosing to commute sustainably, you are helping to reduce vehicle emissions that contribute to poor air quality.
- Reduction of Carbon Emissions
- Emissions from transportation count for about 27 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions! Making a habit of commuting sustainably and encouraging others to do the same helps us lower greenhouse gas emissions and move us all toward a sustainable future.
- Affordable
- Both Mountain Line and UDASH are fare-free, meaning you don’t have to pay anything to ride the bus! Riding a bike is also very affordable. ASUM Transportation offers bike rentals for students and employees. Free Cycles will help you build your own bike! This can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars if you walk, ride, or take the bus every day instead of driving a personal vehicle!
- Moving Your Body!
- Walking to campus is a fantastic way to start your day and take in the sights Missoula has to offer. Walking is good for your heart, gives you energy, and boosts your mood. The farther and faster you walk, the more the benefits add up! Not only that, but by choosing not to drive, you're helping improve the air quality in our community, and reducing traffic congestion. Check out our resources on walking around Missoula!
- Commuting to campus by bicycle is a great way to start your day. Instead of sitting in traffic and looking for a parking space, imagine cruising along the Clark Fork River trail with an eagle or an osprey overhead, and finding a place to park right outside your morning class. On your bicycle, you can enjoy the fresh air, take in views of the Missoula valley and reduce traffic congestion and emissions. Whether you want to rent a bike, need assistance purchasing a bike, or just want to learn more about biking, ASUM Transportation can help!
What counts as a commute?
The Commuter Challenge focuses specifically on your daily travel to and from your classes/workplace. While we strongly encourage using sustainable travel modes throughout the day to run errands , grab lunch, etc. these additional trips will NOT be counted in this particular challenge. These trips should be logged as "errands" on Way to Go! Missoula.
What is a sustainable commute?
Carpooling, biking, walking, skateboarding, e-mobility (scooter, one wheel, hoverboard, etc.), riding the bus, and telecommuting are all different types of sustainable commutes!
What are the requirements for teams?
We welcome teams of all different types! You could be a department, student group, cohort, committee, or any other type of team! Groups can be all students, all staff, or a mixture. Whether your team is 5, 10, or 50 employees, your participation will make a difference. The only requirement is that every team has a Commuter Challenge Team Captain who serves as the point of contact between your team and ASUM Transportation.
As a team:
If you are the ONLY team in your category to achieve All-Star status (meaning every person in your department or group logs at least one sustainable commute throughout the challenge) then you WIN. If more than one team achieves All-Star status, then the winner is decided by the leader boards. Winning Departments receive the coveted UM Commuter Trophy! Student groups receive money towards their budget.
Best Social Media Engagement: Tag @umtransportation on all your Commuter Challenge posts!
The Winning Team gets a pizza party! The most "into it" team, or the team who shares the most on social, takes fun group photos, and encourages their team mates the most will win an ice cream party!
Individually:
10 Day Medalist: Commute sustainably every single day of the challenge (10 days total) and be rewarded with $10 U-Money.
Daily Raffle: Every day that you log a sustainable commute, you'll be entered into win a fun commute themed prize.
The goal is for everyone on your team to commute sustainably at least one time!
The captain's training will be Thursday, March 30th from 3-4 pm. One person from your team, preferably the captain, should attend. If no one can attend from your team, you will need to watch the webinar as it answers important questions about the rules, logging your trips, how to help your teammates, and more.
The session will be recorded. Contact Tayli Hillyard for more info.
Join the zoom meeting:
https://umontana.zoom.us/j/95729131793?pwd=aGtVWGhNems0dElISXBkaW1IbFVxZz09