The Salt Lake City Division of Sustainability and BreatheUtah have expanded the SmartTrips program, which aims to inform and encourage Salt Lake City residents to use buses, bikes, and walking to get around, to include 5,000 households in Rose Park (a neighborhood in northwest Salt Lake City) and Wasatch Hollow (near the 15th & 15th small business district).
This program will be implemented from July to October with the intent of encouraging the use of active (bicycling and walking) and public transportation. These neighborhoods were selected for their sizes, mix of residential and business districts, and proximity to public transit and bicycling corridors. The SLC Division of Sustainability launched the pilot SmartTrips program in the East Liberty Park neighborhood this past April. To date, more than 15% of the households in this neighborhood have participated in the program.
SmartTrips is modeled after programs in Oregon, Washington and Australia, which have been successful in reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicle trips.
In 2010, Portland’s SmartTrips program helped drive an 18.4% decrease in drive-alone trips while boosting a 30.4% increase in environmentally friendly modes of transportation. Data from this program showed that the number of participant trips remained about the same, indicating that residents can change their transportation method without significantly impacting their personal mobility.
The goals of Salt Lake City’s SmartTrips program are:
• Increase awareness of active and public transportation options
• Reduce drive alone trips
• Reduce vehicle miles driven by area residents
• Increase commuter confidence in and social acceptability of active and public transportation
• Increase bicycling and walking safety
After the break, watch a video from Councilman Luke Garrott explaining the new SmartTrips expansion.
SmartTrips incorporates many different components to help remove barriers that prevent residents from taking full advantage of their transportation alternatives. Participants will be provided resources such as a Salt Lake City Bike Map; UTA transit schedules; a WalkScore map that shows the resources available to them; customized bicycle commute trips; carpool and vanpool information; and information on bicycle and pedestrian laws. Incentives are also available to help participants make the transition to public and active transportation even easier. Seven-day UTA passes, bicycle headlights and pedometers have been generously donated by participating organizations. Also, a coupon book has been assembled that provides discounts at local businesses in an effort to encourage participants to take advantage of establishments near their homes.
In addition, community-based programs and classes will be provided so participants can learn more about public and active transportation. These programs will include bike trips to local farmers' markets, neighborhood walking tours, and Meet SmartTrips events that will include a kids' bicycle rodeo, information from UTA, and bicycle maintenance information from local bike shops.
Residents living in the East Liberty Park, Rose Park, and Wasatch Hollow neighborhoods can begin participating in SmartTrips by going to the Smart Trips webpage.
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