Lots of info for those with extra time

Here are some great alternative transportation sites, courtesy of transalt.org (some are location-specific, but could provide ideas for future Smart Trips initiatives if you're interested). If you follow the link, it will lead to sites which I'll be perusing to share interesting nuggets here as time allows. Feel free to discuss, share, suggest, get excited, what have you.

United We Serve

I attended a meeting today about Obama's "United We Serve" campaign, which is currently gaining traction in Knox County with non-profits and grassroots groups connecting with volunteers interested in coordinating their own service projects or supporting those already in existence.
http://www.knoxcounty.org/current09/united_serve.php
The campaign will run from June 22 through September 11, 2009, and the four focus areas are: promoting clean energy, energy efficiency and public land restoration; supporting education and literacy for all Americans; increasing health care access, public health awareness and prevention; and providing community renewal to areas hardest hit by the economic crisis.
The meeting this morning at United Way, the agency coordinating the local committee, brought together 70 or so local government, nonprofit and service groups to brainstorm a plan for our community, which is a model county for the program nationwide. Some ideas that were mentioned included: planting community gardens, assisting with clean-up of blighted properties, identifying county-owned properties that could be converted into community gardens or public space and assisting with clean-up to meet codes, reading to children, mentoring and tutoring, organizing bike trains and walking school buses for elementary school students in your neighborhood, planting trees, a "Share the Health" day on Market Square Sept. 11, conducting audits of your home's energy use on the KUB website, donating books, bikes and seeds to benefit the three focus areas, working with seniors to promote health and exercise... it was a great brainstorming session with lots of neat ideas.
Visit http://www.serve.gov/ for more information, to create a project, find a volunteer opportunity or lend your support and ideas.

City of Knoxville energy efficiency and conservation plans

City to Establish Curbside Recycling Program
June 17, 2009 - The City of Knoxville will use part of a $2.012 million federal stimulus grant to try and establish a single-stream, curbside recycling program for residents.

In addition to the recycling effort the city wants to use funds from the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program – part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – to support seven different energy and conservation related initiatives. The U.S. Department of Energy is managing the block grants...

Read more: http://www.cityofknoxville.org/Press_Releases/Content/2009/0617b.asp

Vehicle Miles Traveled: Where we stand (still in traffic)

In case you're like me and can't read the following text, Knoxville ranks 13 per capita and 64th nationally in Vehicle Miles Traveled, according to this December 2008study by the Brookings Institute:
Brookings VMT Cities Ranking

Publish at Scribd or explore others: School Work Business & Economics Magazines & Newspape culture rank

Commuter Challenge drawing to a close

Please remember to log your commutes by June 12 to be eligible for the Commuter Challenge grand finale drawing June 15. The Challenge coincided with the SmartFix40 interstate construction, and since its May 2008 inception, thousands of dollars in monthly and quarterly gift cards have been distributed to Smart Trips participants who have logged 5 days of alternative commutes each month.
On June 15, the lucky winners of our grand prizes will be announced, with prizes including:
10 iPod Shuffles
6 iPod Touch
6 Nintendo Wii
and one $1500 AAA travel package!
Stay tuned and good luck!!

Smart Trips Month winners gather at luncheon

Winners of the Smart Trips Month awards gathered June 10 at the Square Room on Market Square for an awards luncheon. Displaying their certificates of recognition are (from left): Elizabeth Eason Architect employees Matthew Kellogg, Monika Miller, Andrew Godwin and Elizabeth Eason (winners of the Small Business Challenge with highest participation by a small business during Smart Trips Month); Chris Barrett (winner of the Wheel to Reel video contest); Jeremy Chandler (Go Getter award recipient as a runner-up for Longest Bicycle Commute, Most Diverse Commute and overall support of the program); Jim Smith (Longest Bicycle Commute, with an approximate round trip of 50 miles); recipients of the Most People in a Carpool award Alan Sims, Jessica Humphrey, Janie Shanafield and Kevin Webb; TVA employee Regina Mackay (accepting the Large Business award for TVA with the highest number of new registrants during Smart Trips Month); and Carlos Yunsan (recipient of the Most Diverse Commute for combining carpooling, transit and walking each day on his route to work). Not pictured: Paul Clouse, winner of the Wheel to Reel video contest; Lisa Webb, member of the Most People in a Carpool; Adam Dattillo, Go Getter; and Charles Weber, tied for the Longest Bicycle Commute.

Air Quality Days

Don't forget KAT is offering free bus rides on air quality action days this summer.

Sign up for the Weather Alerts from WBIR and get notified automatically when there is an Air Quality Alert day of Orange or higher!
To sign up, just go to the WBIR Text Alerts sign-up page, enter your information and select either the "Severe Weather Alert" for Knox County or the "Daily Weather Forecast."

More on our air quality here from Knox County:
http://www.knoxcounty.org/current09/air_alert.php
First Knoxville Air Alert Issued in 2009
Posted: June 3, 2009
The first air quality alert for the Knoxville valley and Great Smoky Mountains was issued for June 1st. This alert came a month later than last year, in spite of new ozone standards that went in effect in 2008. The revised standards are based on new scientific evidence and are more protective of human health. The alerts are issued much as a weather forecast in that conditions such that poor air quality may result. Thirty-two alerts were issued last year between April 1st and mid-September, though not all resulted in poor air quality days. The Environmental Protection Agency's AirNow website http://airnow.gov/ provides current air quality conditions and forecasts.

Following are steps you can take to reduce air pollution:

Car pool or use public transportation (KAT is free on air alert days
Limit engine idling, skip the drive thru
Combine errands
Conserve energy by turning off unneeded appliances/lights
Cut back air conditioning
Postpone lawn mowing and filling of gas tanks until evening
No open burning
Take your lunch or walk to a nearby restaurant

New KAT buses and future plans

I attended the KAT press conference yesterday that unveiled the look of the new shiny buses and announced details of upcoming changes, including proposed route changes to accompany the 2010 transit center opening and helpful new GPS systems.
More info is here... http://www.cityofknoxville.org/Press_Releases/Content/2009/0609c.asp
Any thoughts?

Fun bus stops around the world

http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/05/01/15-unusual-and-creative-bus-stops/

Bus stops of the future?

Thanks to Emily Murphy for this:
http://senseable.mit.edu/eyestop/
from MIT news:
Riders can plan a bus trip on an interactive map, surf the Web, monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus shelter. They can also post ads and community announcements to an electronic bulletin board at the bus stop, enhancing the EyeStop's functionality as a community. “The EyeStop could change the whole experience of urban travel," said Carlo Ratti, Head of the SENSEable City Lab at MIT. "At the touch of a finger, passengers can get the shortest bus route to their destination or the position of all the buses in the city. The EyeStop will also glow at different levels of intensity to signal the distance of an approaching bus."
In addition to displaying information, the bus stop also acts as an active environmental sensing node, powering itself through sunlight and collecting real-time information about the surrounding environment. “EyeStop is like an 'info-tape' that snakes through the city," said project leader Giovanni de Niederhousern. "It senses information about the environment and distributes it in a form accessible to all citizens.”

One more for the road

While I'm at it, I'll mention that now that Smart Trips Month planning is behind me, I hope to start posting relevant meetings, updates, and alternative transporation links and info locally, regionally and globally here on a regular basis. So check back often and keep me on my toes.

Metro Pulse highlights Knoxville cycling!

Our very own Kelley Segars is featured in this week's Metro Pulse bike extravaganza issue. Check it all out at http://www.metropulse.com/knoxville-bicycle-guide/

Fit in a Fit photos

Home Federal Bank enjoyed their Tomato Head pizza party May 21 to celebrate the team's repeat victory at the May 8 How Many Can You Fit in a Fit event on Market Square. Check out the photos of their team and the MPC, TVA and KUB teams at http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org/stmonth/2009/fit_pix.htm
We've received the second submission in the Wheel to Reel video contest and they're both pretty awesome. See them online at http://www.youtube.com/group/smarttripswheeltoree and upload your 2-minute video! All submissions will air on CTV to promote Smart Trips and will be screened at the Smart Trips Award Luncheon June 9 at Cafe 4. Prizes will be awarded!
Thanks and enjoy this lovely Memorial Day weekend with a family bike ride or walk along the greenways.

Wheel to Reel Contest is taking off!

http://www.youtube.com/group/smarttripswheeltoree

Bike to Work Day 2009 Knoxville

http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org/stmonth/2009/btw_pix.htm