State and Local Climate and Energy Program

Eugene SmartTrips

Eugene, Oregon

Federal Funding: $104,126
Project Timeline: February 2010 – June 2012

Project Summary
Community Characteristics
Program Results/Estimated Results
Project Websites
Media Coverage
Photo

Project Summary

Closing the Information and Habit Gap to Enable Climate–Friendly Travel Choices

The City of Eugene has wrapped up the active part of the SmartTrips: Central program. Project coordinators have created and distributed outreach materials, including a neighborhood walking and biking map, newsletters, and a Eugene by Cycle Guide. A Transportation Ambassadors class was held in June 2011, which trained participants in peer-to-peer education in transportation options. The City also hosted Eugene Sunday Streets, in which the City closed 3.5 miles of City streets in the target areas of the program and opened them up for people to walk, bike, skateboard, dance, run, or scoot. At the beginning of the program, pre-program surveys were distributed to all residents in the target area and over 1,000 were returned. The post-program surveys were distributed in October 2011 and the City is currently working with consultants to evaluate the success of the program and produce a final report.

The neighborhoods of Trainsong, Whiteaker, and Jefferson/Westside have comparatively good transit services, walking and biking pathways, and a pedestrian-friendly downtown. Even so, nearly half of residents drive alone to work each day. By addressing the "information and habit gap", the City of Eugene's SmartTrips program enables residents to realize their climate-friendly travel options. The program is delivered through:

a customized outreach program to the neighborhoods' 12,000 residents,
development of a one-day Transportation Masters leadership program,
improved signage for bicycle routes, and
an innovative "new media" outreach effort.

The program will engage residents through a proven outreach approach. Customized travel information packets will be delivered by bicycle to all 12,000 residents in the neighborhoods of Trainsong, Whiteaker, and Jefferson/Westside. The City will also run weekly events to familiarize residents with alternative modes of travel, and to help them practice new travel habits. It will also participate in neighborhood events, engaging with residents through existing groups in the community to provide information and answer residents' questions. To reach residents who prefer to access information online, outreach will involve a new media component, including weekly emails, an online calendar of events, and Twitter and Facebook feeds.

In addition to outreach, the program will also develop a "Transportation Masters" leadership training program. Community members can enroll in a free, one–day training course to learn about the impact of transportation choices on climate change, "climate-positive" transportation choices, and strategies to engage others in their communities. In return, participants commit to 10 hours of community service to attend outreach events and offer one–on–one transportation audits.

Despite a network of bikeways through the City of Eugene, community members don't know where bicycle routes are, how to get to important destinations, and how long trips will take. To address this barrier, the City will install approximately 30 signs for cyclists in the three target neighborhoods. These signs will show the distance and average travel time to destinations such as parks, libraries, schools, and downtown areas. After installation, the SmartTrips program will educate residents on bicycle signage and routes through outreach and guided bicycle tours.

The benefits of the program include reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing the amount of vehicle miles traveled by residents. By promoting other modes of transportation, the program will improve community health, increase transit ridership, improve the mobility choices available to residents, increase community interaction, and provide intensive services to low–income neighborhoods. The program seeks to encourage replication of the model by producing a handbook for the program and by partnering with a number of transit– and bicycle–oriented groups in the community.

Community Characteristics

Population:	12,000 in target neighborhoods
Area:	40.5 square miles
Government Type:	City
Community Type:	Urban
Median Household Income:	$43,600

Program Results/Estimated Results

Expected GHG Reductions:	194 metric tons CO₂e annually
Expected VMT Reduction:	12% reduction in drive-alone trips
Expected CO Reduction:	14,300 pounds annually
Expected hydrocarbon Reduction:	1,570 pounds annually
Expected particulate matter Reduction:	12 pounds annually
Expected NO_X Reduction:	1,100 pounds annually