New Smart Trips Program Benefits Area Schools

Smart Trips has launched a new initiative to encourage biking, walking, and riding transit instead of driving for short trips. Known as Smart Trips Neighborhoods, the first year of the program will challenge neighborhoods in North Knoxville to participate. And not only will residents enjoy the benefits of alternative travel (like saving money on gas, cleaning Knoxville's air, and adopting a healthier lifestyle), they will be helping local schools.

Smart Trips has partnered with the Plus 3 Foundation, a charitable social network, so that each walk, bicycle, transit, or carpool trip logged will count toward donations of up to $1,000 to each of three local elementary schools in the neighborhood?Beaumont, Belle Morris, and Christenberry. Smart Trips will work with the Parent-Teacher-Student Organizations at each school to coordinate the donations once the program concludes in October.

To encourage participation, Smart Trips will offer classes on Bus Riding for Beginners and Biking in Traffic. Several group walks will also be held. To sweeten the deal, prizes will be offered as incentives. To participate, residents will need to register with the programon the Smart Trips Neighborhoods website and log their activities on the Plus 3 Network.

Area residents are already enthused about the effort. At its last meeting, the Oakwood-Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association discussed the program. Barbara Armstead, Association Vice President, observed, "Everyone is excited and looks forward to participating."

For more information about the Smart Trips Neighborhoods program, visit our website, www.knoxsmarttrips.org/neighborhoods.

Posted 6-20-2012, written by Alisa Ashouri