Missoula In Motion is hosting a Commuter Challenge in hopes of changing how commuters get to and from work. Program Coordinator Katherine Auge says Missoula’s 2017 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory found that transportation contributed 37 percent of the Missoula Valley’s emissions footprint. She explains what the challenge is all about.

“The goal is to get every single person at a workplace to log at least one sustainable commute and getting every single person at the work place to think about how they get to and from work,” Auge said. “We divide the workplaces up into different size categories. You are competing against workplaces of similar size. The grand prize is a pizza party for your workplace.”

According to Auge, the event will take place from May 5th to May 18th and employees in more than 100 Missoula workplaces have been challenged.

“People just hop into a car and don’t even think twice,” Auge said. “They use that for all of their trips. I think the commuter challenge really just raises awareness about sustainable transportation options by encouraging every single person to do one sustainable commute. It gets people to realize that maybe they live along a bus route and maybe they can do that once in a while rather than driving their car. Ultimately, the goal is to increase the use of sustainable transportation here in Missoula.”

Businesses can sign up here until May 5th. The Challenge will begin with an event on Monday night, May 6th, at Bayern Brewing. Auge says challenge participants who arrive using a sustainable travel mode will receive a free first beverage.

More From Newstalk KGVO 1290 AM & 98.3 FM