Knox Rockers Named Winners of Smart Trips Downtown Window Display Contest

Knox Rockers, a team of friends who decorated the University of Tennessee Conference Center window, have won Smart Trips' first Downtown Window Display contest. Their design focused on taking transit with a Flintstone-esque theme. A very close second place went to Bliss, and Mast General Store came in third.

"We were thrilled to see how creative the participants got in designing their windows. It was a great way to decorate downtown and also promote biking, transit, carpooling and walking," said program manager Kelley Segars.

The contest, a part of the Smart Trips Commuter Challenge, ran from July 6-23 and called on downtown organizations to promote alternative methods of commuting by decorating their display windows. Nine groups accepted the challenge, including Red Chair Architects, Reruns, TVA Credit Union, Jupiter Entertainment, Best Behavior Creative Club, Fizz and VIEO Design. Each window included voting instructions, and almost 850 people cast votes to determine the winner.

The window designs are still available for viewing on Smart Trips' website, www.knoxsmarttrips.org.

The Commuter Challenge continues through July 31 and encourages people to try alternatives to driving alone to work. Those who carpool, bicycle, walk or take the bus at least once a week qualify for prizes such as an Apple iPad, Nook tablets, Timbuktu messenger bags, and more.

Smart Trips' mission is to improve air quality and ease traffic congestion. The program rewards participants for choosing green commuting options and works with regional employers to develop customized worksite programs. Smart Trips is funded by a federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) grant and is a program of the Planning Commission's Transportation Planning Organization.

Posted 7-25-2012, written by Alisa Ashouri