Walk, bus, bike or anything but drive for Durango’s 13th Clean Commute Day (2024)

Event scheduled to raise awareness of alternative transportation options

Driving isn’t the only way to get around. Carpooling, walking, rolling, cycling and public transit are environmentally healthy alternatives. That’s the message the city of Durango is sending this June 26 for the city’s 13th annual Clean Commute Day.

The event falls on the same day as Colorado’s Bike-to-Work Day, a prime time to promote alternative modes of transportation, said Devin King, Durango multimodal manager.

He said the event is to get people who primarily drive to try out walking, biking, public transit or another way to get around and to hopefully realize how easy it is.

Clean Commute Day comes with prizes and free stuff, too. Eight stations around town will be stocked with free T-shirts, baked goods, coffee, tea, beer tokens and other goodies at various times throughout the day.

The Business Commuter Challenge runs Wednesday through June 26. It’s a competition among Durango businesses to out-clean commute one another, King said.

“We have them track their commutes on the Way to Go Durango app, which makes it really easy. And then you can see which teams are winning or out (commuting) the other,” he said.

There are three competition categories based on number of employees: One to 25 employees; 26 to 100 employees; and 101 or more employees. The winning businesses in each category will become eligible to receive an e-bike, with one caveat: They must help the city’s multimodal division craft a transportation demand management plan.

The plan will outline how the business will encourage employees to carpool, walk, bike or utilize public transit to reduce the amount of individual cars on the road.

“That e-bike will be part of that by allowing … opportunities to take the bike to a meeting or to go get groceries,” King said.

Businesses and residents nominate a Commuter of the Year annually, he said. Ideal candidates will embody the spirit of clean commuting.

“Somebody that bikes every day through thick and thin, through winter, summer seasons, or somebody who uses transit every day, or, you know, somebody who uses all of the above,” he said.

The city’s multimodal team reviews nominations and selects the ultimate winner.

In past contests, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad has offered free tickets as prizes. This year’s prize has not yet been announced, King said.

Clean Commute Day last year had 200 to 300 participants. In years’ prior, it maxed out at about 200, he said.

King said more contests will be ongoing through the Way to Go Durango app as well with prizes such as free water bottles and Bluetooth speakers up for grabs.

The eight stations clean commuters are encouraged to drop by on June 26 are scheduled to be open in two separate time slots.

The stations in the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. time slot are:

Stations open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. are:

King said Durango Transit’s free transit summer has also returned this year after seeing success the last two years. From June through the end of August, rides on the city’s regular bus and trolley routes are completely free during normal operational hours.

The free rides are only during regular operational hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city’s recent on-demand late-night ride service from 5 p.m. to midnight every day, called DuranGO, still costs $2 per trip.

cburney@durangoherald.com