By Mara Gericke, Macatawa Area Coordinating Council
Green Commute Week is an annual event designed to promote awareness about green transportation options that benefit the environment, the budget, and both personal and community health.
If you regularly participate in Green Commute Week, you may have noticed that spring came and went this year without mention of the event, which is usually held in spring. Most things look a lot different these days, and this event is no exception.
For the health and safety of our participants, the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council made the decision to postpone the event until fall and modify the structure to focus on active and socially distant forms of green commuting including walking, biking, telecommuting, driving a fully electric vehicle, or any other type of green transportation that involves physical activity like rollerblading, skateboarding, or even kayaking.
Here’s how it will work: Green Commute Week will be Oct. 5-9. Unlike previous years, no registration is required, and all participants will participate as individuals. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t form your own teams within a workplace or other group and hold your own in-group challenges. We encourage it!
There will be five commute categories including walking, biking, telecommuting, driving a fully electric vehicle, and other (including any other form of active transportation). Participants will log each commute trip throughout the week on the MACC website at www.the-macc.org/green-commute-week.
This year’s commute challenge is based on participation: Each trip logged equals one entry in the corresponding mode category. The more trips recorded and the more modes you choose, the higher your chances are of winning. At the end of the week, there will be a random drawing for $50 West Coast Cash within each commute mode category.
We hope you enjoy this opportunity to get outside, soak up the beautiful West Michigan fall weather, and contribute to the improvement of our health, our air, and our community!
Mara Gericke is assistant planner at the Macatawa Area Coordinating Council.
This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme
Transportation: The movement of people, goods, and services within the area is an evolving system that links us to our regional, national and global networks.
ABOUT THIS SERIES
Living Sustainably is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives. It is presented by the Holland-Hope College Sustainability Institute, a joint project of Hope College, the City of Holland and Holland Board of Public Works. Go to www.hope.edu/sustainability-institute for more information.
