NEWS RELEASES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 3, 2008

For more information, Contact:

Peter Keating, Senior Transportation Planner
Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization
802.660.4071 x14

Awards for "Way To Go" Challenge Announced

Burlington, VT - Way to Go! Commuter Challenge organizers and Mayor Bob Kiss will present awards to Vermont employers and schools, at a ceremony on Thursday, June 5th at 11:30AM at Burlington Community Boathouse on the waterfront.

More than 100 employers and schools competed to achieve the highest participation rates. "Many Vermonters are looking for ways to reduce their environmental impacts, improve their health and save money," noted Scott Johnstone, Executive Director of the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Many of this year's participants discovered those environmental, financial, and health benefits by leaving their cars at home.

The following workplaces and teams demonstrated the best performance in their size category:

Micro employer: Legitify; honorable mention to Spike Advertising
Small employer: ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at Leahy Center for Lake Champlain and American Flatbread; Honorable mention to Stone Environmental
Medium employer: Vermont Energy Investment Corporation; Honorable mentions to NRG Systems and Seventh Generation
Large employer: Champlain College; Honorable mention to Ben & Jerry's
Macro employer: Burton Snowboards; Honorable mention to National Life
Major employer: Fletcher Allen Health Care; Honorable mention to UVM
Team Award to Burlington High School students for their efforts to promote alternative transportation among their peers

Phelan Fretz, ECHO's Executive Director and winner for the second year in a row in the small employer category observed, "Receiving the small business award from Way to Go! Challenge is a great honor and demonstrates the commitment of the entire ECHO team to the community's mission of Lake and Basin stewardship."

Nearly 3,000 individuals participated in the May 5-9 commuter challenge by using the cheaper, healthier, and more earth-friendly transportation alternatives to driving alone. Participation was up more than 56% from last year and together they saved 237,000 commuting miles, 206,000 pounds of carbon and $49,000 in transportation costs.

Johnstone continued, "Way to Go provides a little nudge to these people to try transportation alternatives and they then see the tangible benefits. We're also pretty sure the recent rapid rise in the cost of gas is another incentive."

Five schools also competed in this year's "Way to Go" K-8 Challenge to see which could achieve the greatest increase in smart and healthy school travel. In recognition of "Way to Go," schools offered walking school buses, encouraged carpooling, held parades and organized playground walks. The top three schools, based on a points system for walking, biking, riding the bus and carpooling, were:

Hinesburg Community School, 48%
Shelburne Community School, 38%
Middletown Springs Elementary School, 34%

Honorary school awards go to Winooski's JFK Elementary, and Union Elementary School in Montpelier.

"Way To Go" is a collaborative effort of the Way to Go Partners which includes the Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO), Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA), Lake Champlain Committee (LCC), Local Motion, Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA), the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Alliance for Climate Action, 10% Challenge. This project is also generously supported by many private and public sector employers.

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