Imagine getting paid to ride your bike. That’s exactly what happened during our Drive Less Ride More program from April 1 to June 23, 2024, when the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR) funded an innovative program to encourage people to swap their car trips for bike rides. The Program For 12 weeks, 387 participants earned incentives for tracking their bike trips on mywaytogo.org, ultimately earning a total of $43,340 in rewards. Incentives were distributed through an online gift card service, allowing participants to receive Visa or Mastercard gift cards for their rides. But the program wasn’t just about financial rewards, it also created a thriving biking community. We hosted 8 meet-up events in partnership with local businesses, including Raices Brewery, Novel Strand Brewing, Sweet Action, and Totem Bicycles. We provided bikers with the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. Participants overwhelmingly enjoyed these gatherings, reporting they had a great time meeting fellow cyclists and feeling part of a larger movement. Cash vs. Lottery: What Works Best? Participants were randomly divided into two groups to test different incentive strategies: Group A: Earned $2 per ride for their first 8 rides each week and $3 per ride for their next 4 rides, up to 12 rides per week. Group B: Earned $2 per ride for 12 rides, plus an entry into a $250 lottery for each ride they took. Both incentive strategies effectively encouraged participants to replace car trips with bike rides, but the lottery-based incentive in Group B resulted in a higher percentage of participants replacing more trips. This suggests that the possibility of a bigger payout might be more motivating than guaranteed smaller payments. Participant Feedback Throughout the program, participants completed surveys and shared their experiences. Here’s what they had to say: "This program pushed me to ride more than I ever have." "I explored so many new trails that I never would have discovered." "It helped me develop a regular biking routine." "I feel healthier and fitter than I did before." "I feel more connected to nature and my community." "I’m way more comfortable biking now than when I started." The Impact In just 12 weeks, the program had a huge impact: 26,457 bike trips taken 123,829 miles traveled by bike 55.6 tons of CO2 saved $82,000 saved in transportation costs 6.3 million calories burned What’s Next? With such promising results, we’re excited about the potential to bring this program back in 2025. We’re currently in discussions with CASR to refine the program and make it even more impactful. Key Takeaway Incentive programs work! Whether through direct cash payments or a lottery system, paying people to bike is an effective way to encourage sustainable transportation choices. If you’ve been looking for a reason to ditch your car and hop on a bike, this program proves that the benefits, both personal and environmental, are well worth it. Stay tuned for more updates on how we’re working to get more people riding in Denver!

For those who currently drive: I pledge to replace one drive-alone trip per week for eight weeks starting today. I will challenge myself to switch one trip from driving alone to sustainable modes such as walking, biking, scooting, taking transit, and carpooling. For everyone: As a member of this community, I will do my part and commit to keeping Denver’s streets safe for everyone traveling to their next destination. I also pledge to encourage others to adopt safe driving practices. Click here to take the pledge!

There's a survey open for west Denverites, and we especially want to hear from people who live or travel in the Sun Valley, Barnum, Valverde, Athmar Park, and Westwood neighborhoods. We are doing a drawing for $1,700 in prizes in July, and there will be 24 lucky winners! We hope you will participate to help us craft marketing and outreach for safer driving behaviors and sustainable transportation access in west Denver. Just send us an email at info@westcorridor.org, and we'll get you the survey!

During July and August, RTD will offer zero fares across its system as part of the Zero Fare for Better Air initiative. This collaborative, statewide initiative, made possible by Colorado Senate Bill 22-180, in partnership with the Colorado Energy Office, is designed to reduce ground-level ozone by increasing the use of public transit. Current RTD customers will also benefit as they will not have to use or purchase fare products from July 1 - August 31, during Colorado’s high ozone season. As summer begins, we hope you will try something new, even if it’s only one day a week. Or, if you've already been riding transit, enjoy the zero cost of riding! There will be a special rider appreciation day on Tuesday, July 25. Be sure to save the date for Transit Day and remind yourself to ride on that day to take advantage of community events throughout Denver. Details to come about a West Corridor event the morning of Transit Day!