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May Commute Smart B2B Challenge a Success

July 3 2019

During our recent Commute Smart B2B Challenge, 976 employees from 64 Seacoast companies used a sustainable form of transportation to commute to work or school.  They carpooled, vanpooled, rode the bus or a moped, bicycled, walked, or telecommuted.  The goal of the challenge was to reduce the frequency of people driving alone to work – a major factor in greenhouse gas emissions.

Challenge participants competed for awards and the honor of having the smartest, greenest workplace.  The winners in the “Most Sustainable Trips” category were Harbour Light Strategic Marketing, GPI Greenman-Pederson, HubSpot, Loftware, and Portsmouth Middle School.  Vital won the “Most Social Media Buzz” award; LTC Partners and HubSpot both won the “Most Improved Team” award; Global Aquaculture Alliance won the “Most Team Spirit” award, and UNH Dept. of Natural Resources and the Environment won the “Outstanding Rookie Team” award.

The nearly 1,000 participants logged over 7,500 sustainable trips during the Challenge which ran during the month May.   Eighty tons of carbon dioxide emissions were reduced.  Collectively the participants put $100,063 back in their pockets by not driving alone.

Portsmouth resident and year-round bike commuter Sonja Loeser commented, “I bike to work because it’s a great opportunity to get outdoors before and after work….and to reduce my emissions and save money.”  “We were thrilled to have such an enthusiastic response from Seacoast area commuters, including 16 new teams,” commented Anne Rugg, Manager of CommuteSMART Seacoast.  “In this era of climate change, it’s awesome that people are taking individual responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint”, she added.

“Dump the Pump”, CommuteSMART’s free summer commuter challenge, is open to anyone working in Seacoast New Hampshire or the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.  Participants earn prizes for logging their trips online from June 1 – August 31.