One of my favorite organization in Knoxville is Smarttrips. It’s an organization dedicated to promoting alternatives to driving alone. People who sign up (it’s free) log their commutes receiving credit for bus rides, biking, walking and carpooling. There’s even a great online match-making program to help you find others with whom you might logically carpool.
Drawings are held for special prizes and everyone who logs enough commutes in which they do not drive alone to work gets gift cards to local (mostly downtown) merchants. A large number of downtown employers participate, but it is open to anyone regardless of their company’s involvement.
I’ve been a member for several years and routinely log my carpool commutes to work. I haven’t achieved my dream of a downtown job to which I might walk everyday, but maybe I’ll get there on down the line. In the meantime, I support this great group and I’d encourage you to do the same. With air quality alerts increasingly a routine event in the spring and summer, it behooves us to do something about it and this organization really tries to help.
A window display contest promoting the group and their efforts is currently underway in downtown. Nine different locations are pitting their displays against one another. As you can see in the photographs here (or better ones on the Smarttrips site), they range from the simple to the elaborate and from small to quite large. The Knox Rockers photograph included here was sent to me by the group who insisted I needed a night picture which they would provide – and they did.
You can vote online or you can text your vote for any given window. Why not take a minute and reward one of these creative, concerned groups with your vote right now? Voting ends Monday, July 23.
In the meanwhile, I’d encourage you to download the map and take the walking tour to see them for yourself. Get those feet moving – and happy commuting.