Check out the statewide Commute Green New Hampshire website for activites, green commuting competitions, events, and prizes. Help us take the equivalent of four cars off the road for a year during Commute Green New Hampshire's annual green commute week, May 16-20, 2011!

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Commute Green 2010

Welcome to Green Commute Week and Commute Green 2010

The Program for Alternative Transportation and Health (PATH) is working with it partners throughout the region to host the biggest and most exciting Green Commute Week in state history! 

This year, events in the Central New Hampshire region are May 17-23.  Green Commute Week is an expansion of Bike/Walk to Work Day on May 21 and is part of a larger six-week promotion called Commute Green 2010 co-sponsored by the Bike-Walk Alliance of NH and the NH Department of Transportation.  Commute Green 2010 is May 15-June 25.

What is Green Commute Week?

Green Commute Week is part of a national movement where people and workplaces are challenged to choose healthier, more environmentally friendly and more cost effective transportation options.  Green Commute Week encourages and provides incentives for people to use these modes, which include carpooling, bicycling, walking and using public transportation.  Green Commute Week also focuses on educating people, employers and communities about the benefits of using these transportation options and the benefits of comprehensive transportation networks.

Promotional Materials

Word of mouth advertising is always the most successful.  PATH and its partners rely on volunteers across the region to get the word out about Green Commute Week activities and events.  Please consider downloading the following files and distributing them throughout your workplace, community and home.  If you are looking for a specific type of document that is not here, please contact us and we will be glad to help develop something with you.

• Flyer about events
• Public announcement
• Electronic newsletter template

How We Will Determine Success

PATH is currently working with its partners to set reduction targets for emissions and vehicle miles traveled and to track the reductions through the Bike-Walk Alliance of NH survey and employer-developed surveys. 

For example, NH Department of Environmental Services Commissioner Thomas Burack has challenged employees to drive 15,000 fewer miles during the Commute Green 2010 promotion.  Employees within the agency are motivating each other by competing by division.  Similarly, the NH Department of Justice is currently setting its agency’s targets for the six-week timeframe and employees have challenged each other by floor. 

PATH will report back the results of the challenges at the end of the six-week period.  The Employer Event page has additional information on all of the employers who currently plan to participate.

Discounts and Free Stuff for Bicyclists

PATH is excited about a new initiative that it hopes will continue on beyond Green Commute Week.  PATH and its partners are working with local businesses to offer discounts or add-ons for customers in a program modeled after HER Helmet Thursdays in Monterey County, California.  PATH is excited to report that the following restaurants will be offering free and discounted items during Green Commute Week… Continued.

Promotions and Prizes

The prize that has everyone excited is the free overnight stay at the Omni Mount Washington Resort.  To be eligible, a person needs to bike, walk, carpool or use public transportation for at least six trips between May 15 and June 25 and register their trips at the Bike-Walk Alliance of NH website beginning May 15.  Other great prizes included… Continued.

What are This Year’s Events?

PATH and its partners are organizing fun and exciting events for downtown Concord during Green Commute Week on top of the great promotions we have going.  Each event will have live music from great local bands and lots of free food from local restaurants. 

Green Commute Week this year will kick off with a big bicycling to work event on May 17 at City Plaza with Concord Mayor Bouley has been invited to present a Mayoral Proclamation and Commute Green 2010 Challenge.  Other activities include free bus and trolley rides all day May 18 with breakfast downtown, the annual Walk for Burritos.  The week will culminate with the tradition of the Governor’s ride to the State House and an even bigger Concord Bike Swap at S&W Sports.

Click here to get details on all of the events around the region and here’s a map of where the events are happening.

Group Commuting Bike Rides

What better way to try bicycle commuting for the first time or to get in your first miles of the season!  There are 20+ departure points throughout the Central New Hampshire region for novice to experienced riders to get into bike commuting.  Below is an editable map for people to identify your possible routes, connect with the ride leaders and see departure times.  To find out more information about the rides, to see the maps and to register, click here.

Employer Events

PATH is working employers and schools around the region for Green Commute Week events at their workplaces.  The events include things like prizes and preferred parking for people who try green commuting, division challenges within workplaces and breakfast events.  For the growing list of employers participating this year, click here.

Pictures from the Events

PATH is asking everyone to take pictures of the events that you participate in and to submit them to an online Picasa account we have set up.  Just email us at path@cnhrpc.org and we will provide you the login to start loading the pictures.

Thank You, Thank You

Green Commute Week would not be what it is without the hard work of the volunteers who have helped plan and organize events and have gone above and beyond their own work schedules to help.  In particular PATH would like to thank the following people, in no particular order: Sharon Nall, Barbara Fales, Danielle Pacik, Deb Smith, Joan Clinton, Diane Caldon, Vanessa Bittermann, Audrey Burghard, Janice Bonenfant, Patti Dann, Dave Topham, Tim Farmer, Jeff Warner, Jonathan Gregory, Chris Hancewicz, Dick Lemieux, Matt Bowser and Don Brueggemann.

Similarly, the events would not be what they are without the kind support from local businesses who have donated food, drinks, time and effort.  As a token of support, PATH has posted their logos and website links.  

Thank you everyone!  We look forward to seeing you this year!

Contact:
Nicholas Coates and Craig Tufts
Program for Alternative Transportation and Health
28 Commercial St. Ste. 3
Concord, NH 03301
603.226.6020 office
path@cnhrpc.org
www.path-nh.org