Denver, Nov. 02, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The third annual "Go-Tober Challenge" concluded Tuesday in the Denver metro area. During October, participating organizations challenged employees to ditch driving alone at least once a week in favor of a smarter commute option such as carpool, telework, vanpool, bike, walk, light rail or bus.
Top commuters and 2017 Go-Tober champions are: Imagine! in the Neighborhood Ninja category, Xilinx in the Suburban Superheroes category, Amec Foster Wheeler in the Transit Troopers category and DaVita in the Urban Ultimates category.
“We’re all about reducing traffic congestion and emissions one commuter at a time,” said Steve Erickson, director of communications and marketing for the Denver Regional Council of Governments. “There are so many personal benefits when employees choose smarter commute options, and we hope Go-Tober has inspired them to make that choice more often.”
Go-Tober is presented by Way to Go, a regional partnership between the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) and a group of seven Transportation Management Associations (TMAs) that are dedicated to transforming the way people get around. Go-Tober works directly with employers to introduce new commute options to those who normally drive alone. Ultimately, Go-Tober is designed to inspire lasting changes in commuting behavior to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.
A total of 1,719 participants in the Go-Tober challenge logged 36,924 commutes. Their efforts resulted in 440,137 smart commute miles traveled and a reduction of more than 125.12 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Walkers and bikers also burned an extra 2,732,019 calories and saved some $116,007.76 in travel costs.
To qualify, employees of participating companies registered at WayToGoTober.org and logged at least four smart commute round trips throughout the month of October. Companies earned points for each one-way trip taken and tracked.
Companies of all sizes were categorized by the Regional Transportation District’s (RTD) Service Level Areas, with an effort index applied to equal the playing field between small and large companies. View a full list of participating companies at waytogotober.org.
About the Organizer
Way to Go is a program of Denver Regional Council of Governments, a planning organization where local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy and allocate funding in the areas of transportation and personal mobility, regional growth and development, and aging and disability resources. For more information visit waytogo.org.
###
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/811ee4a6-d337-4d4f-9c5d-5fb41a8157d6