(Unless you have already picked a password, your contact number (no dashes nor parentheses) is your password.)
AACOG reserves the right to
question and/or remove any participant from the Challenge due to mileage reporting practices.
Goal: 500,000 Miles
Total Pledged: 332,186 miles
Total Logged: 117,185 miles
Percent of Pledged: 35.28%
Challenge Leaders
(Updated every hour)
peaches
Cycling
crichtberg
Busing
ukranz
Carpool/Vanpool
tpickens
Some participating organizations have chosen to record logged mileage offline.
All bonus miles due to Air Quality Health Alerts will be added at the end of the month by AACOG staff.
The overall goal of the 2007 Walk & Roll Challenge is to accumulate 500,000 smart miles. That’s the equivalent of removing over 1,800 pounds of pollutants from our air. An accomplishment of that type means everyone’s a winner because we’re all breathing easier!
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To promote a better quality of life in the San Antonio region, the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) and the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) challenge area citizens to practice "smart miles". Smart miles refers to efficient and healthy modes of transportation that reduce our trips to the gas pump, save us money, improve our air quality, and provide health benefits. These include such options as carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus, riding a bicycle, or walking.
Starting July 1, AACOG and the MPO will conduct the 3rd Annual Walk & Roll
Challenge to reward local residents who log the most "smart miles" between July
1 and October 31. Whether for work-related trips or recreation, participants with the best records in each of four categories will be recognized for their successes and awarded prizes. The four competition categories are:
New this year is awarding points for each time you log mileage in a category, as
well as choosing to stay in the office for lunch while at work, or for
telecommuting. In addition to the four competition categories listed
above, we will also award a prize to the participant accruing the most points by
the end of the Challenge.
To accept the challenge, complete the online pledge form.
Starting July 1, return to this page to log your miles. The log sheet does not allow you to record miles in advance of the current date, nor can you access a date that is more than seven days old. All mileage, however, must be logged by
midnight November 1, 2007. Winners will be announced the following week. You will also be able to visit the Pledge List, starting in
July, to view where you stand in the overall competition; however, each category will have its own category winner.
The San Antonio region typically experiences multiple days each summer when air pollution reaches unhealthy levels. Some of the pollutants in our air originate from other regions of the country or from natural sources, but a significant portion is created locally from activities we engage in each day – such as driving our vehicles.
Poor air quality adversely impacts us in a number of ways. Prolonged exposure can cause such symptoms as headaches, nausea, and breathing difficulties. Periods of high air pollution levels have been associated with increased emergency room visits and school absences in a number of studies. Furthermore, certain groups are particularly sensitive to air pollution: children, the elderly, people who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory illnesses.
The consequences of air pollution don’t end with human health. Air pollution harms our environment and may impact economic growth. In addition, high air pollution levels jeopardize our ability to meet federal standards for air quality. The San Antonio region is currently under an agreement with the federal government to clean up our air using voluntary measures. In 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will determine how successful those voluntary efforts were by analyzing ozone measurements recorded in our region during 2005, 2006, and 2007.
We all know that in baseball, three strikes and you’re out. The same is true for our air quality. Currently we have two strikes against us. Our 2005 value that the EPA will average to determine our attainment status is above the threshold allowed by federal standards–Strike One. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, our 2006 value is also above the threshold–Strike Two.
Violating air quality standards will bring consequences, such as costly emissions inspections for our vehicles as well as increased regulations for new and existing businesses.
The major sources of locally-generated air pollution are the vehicles we drive. Since these are sources we control, we have a unique opportunity to take action and fix improve the situation: Drive Less.
Our recent Walk & Roll Corporate Challenge’s overall goal encouraged citizens to Drive Less–leave the cars at home and find a healthier way to commute to work.
Driving less will help our region drive toward a cleaner future.
Brenda Williams,
AACOG, (210) 362-5246
