Employers Can Register Now for SM's 2015 Commuter Challenge

Santa Monica employers can now register for Santa Monica's 2015 Commuter Challenge, the first-ever competition for Santa Monica businesses and organizations of all sizes to encourage their employees to bike, carpool/vanpool, or ride transit to work, instead of driving alone.

Businesses can participate in the Commuter Challenge by visiting http://www.commuteSM.com.

"Cars on Los Angeles highways are a top contributor to greenhouse gases and smog," said Jeffrey Chernick, chief executive officer of RideAmigos. "Through the Commuter Challenge, employees can try alternative modes of transportation for their commuter. These clean-air trips improve air quality, save money, limit congestion, and reduce stress."

Studies show that when encouraged by an employer, employees are more likely to change their commute behavior.

From April 1st through July 31st, thousands of Santa Monica commuters will keep track of their commute trips through CommuteSM.com. April incentivizes general trip logging, while each month thereafter showcases a different travel mode, from biking in May, to carpooling/ vanpooling in June, and public transportation in July.

With every logged trip, participants are automatically entered into weekly random drawings for prizes, such as gift cards to local merchants. In addition, at the conclusion of each month employers in four different size-categories with the highest rate of employee participation and CO2 reductions will be recognized.

Santa Monica's 2015 Commuter Challenge is sponsored by RideAmigos, Urban Trans, Paradise Consulting, and the City of Santa Monica. For more information on the Commuter Challenge, visit http://www.commuteSM.com.

RideAmigos (www.rideamigos.com) is a national leader of web-based, multi-modal transportation solutions, providing regional commuter networks, multi-modal travel dashboards, certified transportation commute surveys, trip trackers, reward systems, and GIS reporting tools.