| Concord's Green Commute Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Green Commute Week is a 5-day event when people are encouraged to bike, walk, carpool, or take public transit to work. Each day of the week has a different theme and daily events provide a festive atmosphere to encourage participants and raise awareness. PATH partners with many Concord-area organizations to coordinate Green Commute Week activities. 2009 Green Commute Week Highlights In 2009, Green Commute Week was May 11-15th and it was the first-ever weeklong expansion of the state’s Bike-Walk to Work Day which was Friday, May 15th this year. Please see our May press advisory for additional information The Program for Alternative Transportation and Health (PATH) worked with the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire, NH Department of Transportation, NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Department of Health and Human Services, Concord 20/20 and the City of Concord as well as other state and local agencies and employers to promote Green Commute Week efforts. PATH also worked with Lincoln Financial Group, St. Paul’s School and New Hampshire Technical Institute to implement the Employer Challenge for the week.
What’s the Point? The goals of Green Commute Week are to promote alternative transportation as a healthy and safe way to get to work, decrease traffic congestion, improve air quality, and raise public awareness of opportunities to improve facilities around the state. The end goal is for us all to have easier ways to make a long-term lifestyle changes in the way we commute to work and get around town. Green Commute Week events are meant to help you get started on that PATH (couldn’t resist the pun, sorry!). Here are 10 Simple Steps to get you and your family started right now toward improving air quality. The Wellness Coordinators for the State of New Hampshire have also put together a great guide of the events and other ways to help you meet you transportation needs. You Can Get Rewarded PATH also has bonus prizes for Green Commute Week for people who join the program and use one of the four transportation methods mentioned above. The rules are simple: Sign up for PATH during the week at our table downtown, let us know you traveled to the event other than by yourself in a car each time you do so. Each time you "green commute," and let us know in person, we'll enter your name into the raffle. Names will be pulled on May 18 and winners will be announced that afternoon. Prizes include: • 4 lower bowl tickets to an upcoming Manchester Wolves home game NH commuters who carpool, bicycle, walk or use public transportation to get to work for at least two days that week and complete an online post-event survey at the webpage for the Bike-Walk Alliance of New Hampshire eligible for the raffle prizes. All participants must complete the survey to be eligible for the drawings. The incentives include: • An overnight stay at the Mount Washington Resort Survey entries must be made between May 15-19 and the raffle winners will be announced May 22 by NHDOT and BWANH.
Exciting Events Planned for Concord and the State PATH is sponsoring fun and exciting activities and events in Concord. Each day has a theme that will promote bicycling, walking, using transit and carpooling. We encourage you to come by and get free food items, meet old friends and make new ones and hear some great music. In keeping with the spirit of being “green,” the food and beverage items will be provided by local vendors who are respected in the community for their sustainable practices. Governor John Lynch and wife Dr. Susan Lynch are slated to highlight this year’s events by taking to the roads by bike for the 7th Annual Bike-Walk to Work Day on May 15. The Lynches will ride from Hopkinton beginning at 7 a.m. and arrive in front of the State House arch at 8 a.m. with a rolling rally of bicyclists. Governor Lynch will address the gathered crowd of residents and press at 8 a.m. and the event will continue to 9 a.m. Free food and drinks from Cafe Indigo, the Works Bakery Cafe and NH Distributors and music from the GrassDawgs bluegrass band will be available throughout the event. If you’re looking for events outside of Concord, the BWANH has a complete list of events going on across the state. Following Green Commute Week, the Governor's Council on Physical Activity & Health will be hosting its annual Intergenerational Wellness 5K Walk in Concord on May 20. Below is a schedule of Green Commute Week for Concord and here is a poster to post around your office about the events. Green Commute Week Events for Concord MONDAY – May 11th Food and beverage donations: Pastries and other breakfast items from The Red Blazer, and NH Distributors will provide 12oz All Sport and Icelandic Glacier water (carbon neutral company) and recycling bins to collect any recyclables
Get to Eagle Square by bike! There are guided bike rides to Eagle Square from central meeting places around the city or just outside of the city. The goal of the rides is to link people up with experienced riders to encourage people to try bicycling to work who have been hesitant in the past because of safety and similar concerns. Maps are located on the PATH website. Food and beverage donations: Bagels and coffee provided by The Works Bakery Café. NH Distributors will provide 12oz All Sport and Icelandic Glacier water (carbon neutral company) and recycling bins to collect any recyclables. WEDNESDAY – May 13th Food and beverage donations: Assorted scones and other breakfast items from Café Indigo. NH Distributors will provide 12oz All Sport and Icelandic Glacier water (carbon neutral company) and recycling bins to collect any recyclables THURSDAY – May 14th Get there by foot and experience historic downtown on foot! Concord's Transportation Policy Advisory Committee-Pedestrian is planning ½ hour downtown walking tours on Thursday during lunch hour. Work off your burrito! Food and beverage donations: Mini-burritos from Boloco. NH Distributors will provide 12oz All Sport and Icelandic Glacier water (carbon neutral company) and recycling bins to collect any recyclables. FRIDAY – May 15th There is a press event with the Governor beginning at 8 am. Local bluegrass band the GrassDawgs will be entertaining the crowd! Like Tuesday, there are also guided bike rides to the State House from central meeting places around the city or just outside of the city. The Departments of Environmental Services, Health and Human Services and Information Technology will run a check-in station and commuter breakfast at 29 Hazen Drive. A breakfast event will also be hosted by DHHS at the Brown Building. Food and beverage donations: Assorted scones and other breakfast items from Café Indigo, bagels and coffee from The Works Bakery Café, and NH Distributors will provide 12oz All Sport and Icelandic Glacier water (carbon neutral company) and recycling bins to collect any recyclables . How Do I Get by Bike to Eagle Square on May 12 and May 15? Below are the routes. What a great way to celebrate a beautiful Spring morning by taking a relaxing bike ride to work with new and experienced cyclists alike! Contact information for ride leaders is listed should you have any questions.
Didn’t Get Enough Riding In? Check Out The Seacoast Bike Tour Join Breathe New Hampshire for the 24th Annual Seacoast Bike Tour on May 16th & 17th, 2009. Individuals of all abilities are encouraged to join in the fun and raise funds for lung health programs and initiatives in New Hampshire in the areas of asthma, smoking cessation, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and clean air.On Day One, Cyclists ride from Portsmouth, NH to Ogunquit, ME and enjoy views of beautiful ocean side communities. Day two brings riders inland through scenic country roads and back to Portsmouth, NH to celebrate their success at the finish line jamboree. Riders can choose to participate both days or just join the Tour and ride on Day One. There is a route for everyone-Choose from four routes on Saturday and two routes on Sunday. The Tour’s routes range from a leisurely 25-mile family route to a challenging 100-mile century route. Visit www.breathenh.org/biketour for more information. In the News Employer Challenge Update PATH is still challenging employers in and around Concord to implement a five-week program to change their employees’ commuting habits as part of Green Commute Week. PATH is looking for employers who will promote carpooling and other eco-friendly (economic and environmental) transportation options at their workplaces. PATH will guide employers through the five-week process to do interactive activities like identifying commuting clusters and offering employees incentives like preferred parking and prizes. For more information about taking PATH’s Five Week Challenge, please contact us.
Concord Elementary School Gets Its Students Involved in Green Commute Week The Safe Routes to School committee at Concord's Beaver Meadow School has been working to get its students excited for Green Commute Week To get the students thinking about human powered transportation, the committee has worked with students, teachers and administrators to the following:
Got Pictures from the Events? We’re asking anyone who takes pictures of the events in Concord to submit them to a Picasa account we’ve set up. Just email us at path@cnhrpc.org and we’ll provide you the login. We look forward to seeing you in Concord! Contact:
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| Central New Hampshire Regional Planning Commission |
| 28 Commercial Street --Concord, NH 03301---- Phone: (603) 226-6020---- www.cnhrpc.org |