Frequently Asked Questions  
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How does the Commuter Challenge work?

When does the Commuter Challenge happen?

How are teams formed?

How do I track my trips?

Do all 5 team members need to live in the Santa Barbara area?

Who is a Convert?

What kinds of commutes count for the contest?

What kinds of transportation count for the contest?

Can I count multiple trips daily?  How about mileage?

Why don't multiple trips or mileage count?

What is a utilitarian trip?

How do I find a team to join?

What are the prizes?

What if I bike one way and take the bus or carpool back?

Are electric bikes eligible for the contest?

Are motorcycles or scooters eligible modes for the contest?

What are the Weekly and Monthly Raffles?

What about the Team Bike Challenge?

What are the stats from the 2008 Commuter Challenge?

What if one of my team members doesn't have internet access?

Can children participate?

Can Students Participate? (e.g. SBCC, UCSB, Westmont)

Registration Troubleshooting

Where can I get Commuter Challenge posters?

Can I use old Commuter Challenge Account?

What if I've forgotten my password?

How can I fill my team? I need more members. My team is too small. I need to switch teams.
How do I log trips w/different mileage from my normally programmed work mileage? What if I use more than one mode of transportation in one day?
Can I log trips while on vacation? How do I make team name and photo edits?
How does the Commuter Challenge work?
The Commuter Challenge is a friendly competition that runs for all of May and June 2009, with five member teams making round-trips using sustainable transportation instead of driving alone. Team members log each day they use an eligible mode of transportation using the Commute Calendar. At the end of the competition, the team with the highest number of sustainable transportation days wins the grand prize. The top 101 teams will receive prizes, and we’ll also have raffles at least once a week. Please see our Prizes Page for more details. Our interactive website means participants can track teams' progress and post fun pictures and other information about their teams.

When does the Commuter Challenge happen?
The Commuter Challenge starts May 1 and ends June 30, 2009.

How are teams formed?
Create your own team
: Come up with a team name and create your own team. You can make your team "Restricted" and invite specific people to join your team or you can "Allow Anybody" to join. Each team must have at least 2 "Converts" to qualify for prizes.
A "Convert" is either:
a) someone who didn't participate in the 2008 Commuter Challenge OR
b) someone who drives alone most of the time, but for the Commuter Challenge starts to use an eligible mode of alternative transportation (from Jan.1 - Mar. 31 used alternative transportation for less than 13 days)
or
Join an existing team: You can select "Join this team" to join a team (a yellow lock means it is a restricted team). If you were sent an email invitation for a restricted team, your Pass Code is embedded in the email message you were sent.
You will each begin to track the days you use eligible modes of transportation via your personal, web-based Commute Calendar. Registration begins on April 1, 2009, and the Challenge begins on May 1, 2009.
Upload your a team photo to earn an automatic 5 points.

How do I track my Trips?
During the contest, you and your team members log in to your Commuter Challenge/Traffic Solutions accounts and log each commute day using the Commute Calendar. The Commuter Challenge website provides users with real time status reports so you can find out how your team is doing compared to the other teams in the contest. Start logging your round-trips on May 1, but teams are welcome to join at any point during the two month completion.

Do all 5 team members need to live in the Santa Barbara area?
The Traffic Solutions Commuter Challenge is open to anyone who lives or works in Santa Barbara County. People who live in Ventura or San Luis Obispo are eligible to participate as long as they work in Santa Barbara County.

Who is a Convert?
This year we are expanding the definition of a “Convert.” For 2009, a "Convert" is either
a) anyone that did not compete in the 2008 Commuter Challenge, OR
b) anyone that has used alternative transportation rather than driving alone less than once a week on average over the past 3 months (this means less than 13 days using alternative transportation from Jan. 1 through Mar. 31).

What kind of commutes count for the contest?
Points are earned for every day a ROUND-TRIP is made using an eligible mode(s). This could be your commute to work, but also includes other utilitarian trips, such as taking the kids to the park or to soccer practice, going to the gym, the movies, or to meet up with your friends for a recreational bike ride (if you use an eligible mode to get to the meet-up point). If your eligible mode eliminates what would otherwise be a normal drive-alone car trip, it counts. Things like family trips to the grocery store in one car do not count as an eligible carpool mode, since you are not reducing a car trip.

What kinds of transportation count for the contest?
Bus, bike, walk, carpool, vanpool, telecommute, train, or skate.

Can I count multiple trips daily?  How about mileage?
Although we encourage you to use eligible modes as often as you can each day, only one point can be earned per day for the Commuter Challenge contest - you earn one point for any day you have completed one round trip or more. It is still one point, regardless of the mileage or number of round trips in a day.

However, to keep track of your personal cost savings, as well as mileage and air pollution reductions, you should make sure your “average one-way daily commute” is updated before logging your commute days. The original mileage is calculated based on your home and work addresses. You can also use the multi modal trip option to detail mileage for multiple modes in one day.


Why don't multiple trips or mileage count?
Many participants already use alternative transportation to go many places in a day and feel that these trips and mileage should count for the Challenge. Traffic Solutions has created the one-point-a-day rule to keep the playing field even for our valued converts, who are just getting used to using alternative transportation. The Commuter Challenge contest allows them to think about short round-trips they can take using alternative transportation and still be competitive with more seasoned users.

What is a utilitarian trip?
Utilitarian trips include round-trips when the purpose of the trip is to go to a particular place where you might have otherwise driven alone. Here are some examples of utilitarian trips: a round-trip to a restaurant, to the grocery store, to the beach to take a walk or run, to the gym to work-out over lunch, to work, to school, or to a trailhead to go for a hike. Keep in mind that things like family trips to the grocery store in your car do not count as an eligible trip using the carpool mode, since you are not reducing a car trip.

How do I find a team to join?
If you don’t want to form a team with coworkers, friends, or family, you can always join an open team when you create your account. Teams without yellow locks displayed are open.

What are the prizes?
Our prizes are all summarized on the Prizes Page.

What if I bike one way and take the bus or carpool back?
This type of round-trip would count as a multi-modal trip, and there is indeed a button to code such trips on the Commute Calendar. Our goal is to eliminate car trips, so you can use any combination of eligible modes that you’d like. However, if you ride your bike to work and have someone get in the car to come and pick you up and drive you home, that doesn't count because a car trip was generated. Logging multi-modal trips.

Are electric bikes eligible for the contest?
Electric bicycles are eligible for this contest, as long as the bicycle has pedals (not an electric scooter, in other words).

Are motorcycles or scooters eligible modes for the contest?
Motorcycles and scooters, (including electric ones), are not eligible modes if there is only one person riding. If you carpool with someone on your motorcycle or scooter, then the round-trip counts as an eligible carpool mode. Please note - it must be a utilitarian trip that would have otherwise required two cars/motorcycles - recreational rides are not eligible. Why? After much discussion internally and with others, we made the determination that motorcycles and scooters create too much variability in terms of congestion relief and air quality benefits to include in the Commuter Challenge. They only reduce pollution if they are newer bikes. They only reduce traffic congestion if the motorcyclist lane splits. Motorcycle and scooter use would present too many questions and variables to deal with given our current resources.

You may be interested in this article, "Is your scooter a polluter?" Two-wheeled gas sippers, including motorcycles, put out more emissions per mile than an SUV, says the EPA. View the article.

What are the Weekly and Monthly Raffles?
There will be weekly iPod Shuffle and monthly iPhone raffles for all Commuter Challenge participants logging eligible commute days on their Commute Calendars. The more round-trips you log for the week or month, the greater your chances are of winning that weekly or monthly raffle. The weekly raffles are not based on total team performance, but your personal trips for the prior week or month. Visit our Prizes Page for a list of all prizes and updates on winners.

What about the Team Bike Challenge?
Due to the tremendous success of our Team Bike Challenge events, in 2008 we decided to expand the Challenge to include other modes of sustainable transportation. Participants embraced the new model, so we have decided to host the Commuter Challenge again for 2009. Teams can be exclusively made up of bicyclists – as in years past, or they can be a mix of other sustainable transportation users (bus, walk, carpool, vanpool, skate, train, or telecommute). Unlike the one month long TBC, the Commuter Challenge lasts for two months - May and June. This benefits the community by getting even more cars off of the road, and can help reduce congestion during the roadway construction project on HWY 101 between Milpas and Hot Springs. We look forward to seeing you and other bicyclists out on the road this year and beyond! Log in to your Commuter Challenge account at Traffic Solutions Online, or create a new account if you have never registered with Traffic Solutions online.

What are the stats from the 2008 Commuter Challenge?
1,568 Registered Participants!
1.25 million lbs of CO2 - Eliminated!
43,241 Car Trips - Eliminated!
65,411 Gallons of Gas - Saved!
1,373,634 Miles - Reduced!
11,032 trips - Eliminated in the HWY 101 Milpas to Hot Springs construction zone!
$743,136 - Total Participant Savings!                ...more details

What if one of my team members doesn't have internet access?
If one of your team members does not have internet access, then the team captain or a fellow team member should create an account for him/her using a different email address and login name on the Traffic Solutions/Commuter Challenge website. The captain or fellow team member will be responsible for using the second account to log their team member’s commute days.

Can children participate?
Yes. If there is an automobile round-trip eliminated by a child biking, walking, skating, taking the bus, or carpooling with another family, then the child can log this as an eligible day. If no automobile round-trip is eliminated, then the trip is not eligible. Recreational biking, walking, and skating are not eligible. We encourage families to form a team and do things like biking together to school, taking the bus to summer camps, sports practice and lessons, or carpooling with other families to church and beyond! Children should be old enough to create their accounts, log-in for themselves, and keep track of their progress in their own Commute Calendar. We suggest that children who bike be old enough to ride their bikes safely on the street.

Can Students Participate? (e.g. SBCC, UCSB, Westmont)
Yes. But participants must be sure to NOT sign up as an employee of their school when they create their account.
Registration Troubleshooting

I can’t log in
If you can't remember your password from the last time you used your Traffic Solutions Online account, you can click on the "Forgot Password?" link at www.TrafficSolutionsOnline.info. If you cannot remember the email address that you used for your account, please email info@trafficsolutions.info or call 963-SAVE. Please do not create duplicate accounts, you should use your existing Traffic Solutions Online account.

I can’t join a team because it is locked
If a team is locked, the captain has chosen to restrict it to certain people. If you are asked to join a locked team, the captain should send you an invitation email or Commuter Challenge card that contains the pass code to join the team.
Where can I get the Commuter Challenge posters?
Download the Commuter Challenge Poster
Can I use my old Commuter Challenge Account?
You should definitely use your 2008 account from the Commuter Challenge, this is exactly the same as a general Traffic Solutions Online account which you may be using for our other programs, or your employers benefits program. Please follow the registration links and you will be prompted to create a new account or use your existing Traffic Solutions Online account. If you have forgotten your password, you can use the "Forgot Password?" button and it will be e-mailed to you. You can also call 963-SAVE or email info@trafficsolutions.info for help.
What if I've forgotten my password?
If you have forgotten your Traffic Solutions Online/Commuter Challenge password, you can use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page, and your password will be e-mailed to you. If this doesn't work, or you don't remember your login name you can email us or call 963-SAVE.
How can I fill my team? I need more members.

If you have 3 or 4 members and need help filling your team to 5, you should open it up to everyone. To unlock your team, log in to your Traffic Solutions Online account and go to the MY CHALLENGE section.

Scroll down to your team info and follow the link to Edit Team Info

Once here, confirm that you have chosen "Allow Anybody" and that your team is not closed out.

My team is too small. I need to switch teams.

If you have a team of 1 or 2 members and can't find people to fill your team, please consider joining an open team. First log in to your Traffic Solutions Online account and go to the MY CHALLENGE section.

Scroll down to your team info and follow the link to Delete yourself from the team.


Re-click your MY CHALLENGE button once or twice and then scroll down to the list of teams and join an open team (one w/o a lock) that has less than 5 people
 
How do I log trips w/different mileage from my normally programmed work mileage?

To keep track of your personal cost savings, as well as mileage and air pollution reductions, you should make sure your “average one-way daily commute” is updated before logging your commute days. The original mileage is calculated based on your home and work addresses. If you choose to make utilitarian trips that have different mileage, you can update your mileage box before you color code any day on your calendar. The mileage box will hold the last value you enter, and continue to assign that mileage to every date you color code from then on (until you change the mileage box again). Please make sure to keep this value up to date so all calculations will be accurate.

 
What if I use more than one mode of transportation in one day?
If you use more than one eligible mode per day, we have a "multi modal" option on the Commute Calendar. Choose the grey multi modal button, then click on the appropriate day, and the day will expand such that you can log mileage for each mode you used. You will still only receive one point per day for the Commuter Challenge.

 
Can I log trips while on vacation?
If you are using a bus, train, walking, biking, or skating while on vacation, you can use the new "Carfree Trip on Vacation" button on your Commute Calendar. The Commuter Challenge is for employers and individuals who work or live in the County of Santa Barbara, so you only need to use the Carfree Vacation button if you are outside the tri-county area and using one of the eligible modes. Remember, only bus, train, walk, bike and skate modes fall under "Carfree Trip on Vacation." Carpools and plane trips on vacation are NOT eligible trips and cannot be logged on your calendar.
How do I make team name or photo edits?
Log in to your Traffic Solutions Online/Commuter Challenge account and click the button on your top toolbar that says My Challenge. Scroll down about a third of the page and you will see links to "Edit Team Info" and "Manage Photos." Use these to make edits to your team name or to upload your team photos. Remember, teams get an automatic 5 points for their first team photo.

Email us or call 963-SAVE if you still have questions.

Traffic Solutions is a division of the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments

©2007 SBCAG Traffic Solutions