WAY TO GO KC

Thank you to everyone who made last week’s Transit Funding 101 panel event a success, including our panelists (Deasiray Bush from Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS, Dick Jarrold from KCATA, Josh Powers from Johnson County, KS Government, Tom Gerend from KC STREETCAR AUTHORITY, David Johnson from Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance and Lukas Yanni, AICP from the Mid-America Regional Council) sign language interpreters, AIA Kansas City for hosting us and the more than 70 community members who showed up to hear from the panelist and ask questions. You can read the full Peer Regions Transit Report on the MARC website here: https://lnkd.in/gT4CDJPy

We had a great time celebrating all the participants of the 2024 Green Commute Challenge last week at City Barrel Brewery + Kitchen. This year, more than 250 participants committed themselves to taking more sustainable transportation options throughout the month of October and logged more than 7,066 green commute trips. Congratulations to the 2024 winners: ??First place team (based on the most green commute trips): HNTB ??Second place team: City of Kansas City, MO ??Grand prize individual (randomly selected among the top 10 participants): Mark G., HNTB ??Runner-up individual (randomly selected among the top 10 participants): Adam S., HNTB ??Top local government (based on the highest average points per team member): City of Overland Park ??Thanks to all who participated and committed to a more sustainable way of getting to work. You’re all winners in our eyes!

We’re honored to receive three Nonprofit Connect 2024 Philly Awards! The RecycleSpot website picked up a Gold Philly. The WAY TO GO KC website earned a Silver award and the WAY TO GO Bikes Are For Every Body marketing campaign won a Silver award. The Philly Awards celebrate marketing, communications and fundraising in the nonprofit sector. Congratulations to all the winners for their impactful work in the Kansas City region. #PhillyAwards #NonprofitExcellence

Have you ever wondered how public transportation services are funded in the Kansas City region? Curious how our region measures up against others across the country? ????Join WAY TO GO KC and Mid-America Regional Council ?for an info-packed presentation and panel discussion on Nov. 21 at?AIA Kansas City. You’ll hear from MARC planning staff and a panel of transit leaders about their vision for creating a public transportation system that supports a thriving Kansas City region. Presenters and panelists: ? Deasiray Bush, Transit Director,?Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, KS ? AJ Farris, Planning Manager,?KCATA ? Tom Gerend, Executive Director,?KC STREETCAR AUTHORITY ? David Johnson, Immediate Past Chair, Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance ? Josh Powers, Transit Division Director,?Johnson County, KS Government ? Lukas Yanni, AICP, Transportation Planner,?Mid-America Regional Council The event is free and open to the public but RSVPs are required: https://lnkd.in/gYZFvMgf

Happy carpool and vanpool week! This week, we’re challenging you to share a ride to work with friends, neighbors, coworkers or a new carpooling buddy you can meet on the WAY TO GO app. ???? This week’s prizes include: ???Kansas City Zoo & Aquarium?gift basket (Drawing for those who log a carpool or vanpool commute) ???Elite Cycling?basic tuneup (Drawing for those who log a green commute) ??Congrats to last week’s winners. Juliana C. of?HNTB?won a bike tuneup to?Elite Cycling, Natalie L. of?WeWork won a?Waldo Pizza gift card and John S. of?Overland Park Regional Medical Center?won two tickets and a gift certificate to?Screenland on Armour. Also, we're so close to reaching our goal of 300 participants. Help us reach that number by inviting your workers to join. There's still time!

It’s not too late to join the Green Commute Challenge! ?? ?? Start a team with your co-workers or friends and make your daily commutes more sustainable by logging your green trips on the WAY TO GO app, available on iOS or Android, or my.waytogokc.org. ?? Be eligible for a grand prize—a brand new Voya E+ E-bike—and weekly giveaways! ?? Help improve regional air quality and invest in sustainable transportation to make your community a better place.

Happy Transit Week! Celebrate with us by joining the Green Commute Challenge and learning more about the transit options available to Kansas City residents. ?? The Kansas City region offers many transit options to its residents. Whether it’s RideKC, KC STREETCAR AUTHORITY or one of the many micro-transit services, there are many free or affordable options. Download the Transit app to get access to real-time updates about RideKC buses, and plan your next trip on the WAY TO GO app. Log your trips for the Green Commute Challenge this week to be entered into a weekly giveaway and earn exclusive rewards: https://my.waytogokc.org/

In celebration of the Green Commute Challenge, we’re hosting a Bike Bus for Grown-Ups! ????♀???♂?What exactly is a bike bus, anyway? A bike bus is a rolling caravan of bikes, where everyone pedals together, stopping along the route to pick up riders along the way. Imagine a city bus, but instead of sitting in seats, you’re pedaling along with a group of new friends. ??Join us for your morning commute on Oct. 11 or 25! We’ll be riding between Waldo and the Crossroads, with six stops along the way. Join and depart wherever suits you best. All are welcome to join this free ride (e-bikes also welcome), but a signed waiver is required to participate. ??Learn more and RSVP at https://lnkd.in/gFaAreCV.

October marks the kickoff of the #GreenCommuteChallenge with WAY TO GO KC and Bird is proud to be the lead sponsor! We're excited to support both this annual event and the broader movement toward sustainable transportation. We encourage everyone in the City of Kansas City, MO to join the challenge, make a positive environmental impact, and even have a chance to win prizes! A special thank you to Monica Wejman, Rachel Krause, Karen Clawson, AICP, Kate Ludwig and the many more dedicated leaders behind this challenge! #GreenCommuteKC #SustainableTransportation

WAY TO GO is giving away another Momentum Voya E+ e-bike as the grand prize for this year’s Green Commute Challenge! Who was last year’s e-bike winner and are they still riding? WAY TO GO caught up with Zach, the 2023 Green Commute Challenge grand prize participant and University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate student, to see how winning the e-bike has changed his life.