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City of Madison

Dane County Residents Log Over 5,000 Car-Free and Car-Light Trips, Making Significant Environmental Impact

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In September, Dane County residents and commuters participating in the RoundTrip Smart Trips Challenge logged 5,457 car-free and car-light trips, collectively preventing over 10.3 tons of carbon dioxide emissions—the equivalent of growing 12 acres of U.S. forests for an entire year.

This marks the RoundTrip program’s second annual fall transportation challenge. The free program, open to everyone aged 18 and older who lives or works in Dane County, connects residents and commuters with transportation options like carpooling, biking, vanpooling, public transit and walking. It also educates people on how reducing car use can benefit their finances, health and the environment.

To join the challenge, participants simply needed to create a free RoundTrip account and log their car-free and car-light trips for work, school, errands and entertainment. Participants who logged four round trips each week or fifteen round trips throughout the month were entered into weekly and grand prize drawings, with a special drawing for those who logged at least four round trips on the bus, in celebration of the launch of Metro Transit BRT and Fast Fare cards in September.

This challenge encourages Dane County residents and commuters to replace their usual driving trips with more sustainable options—whether it’s taking the bus to the grocery store, walking to the gym or carpooling to work. It can be hard to see how our small daily choices make a difference, so bringing people together for a challenge is a great way to see that our collective impact is substantial.

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Zia Brucaya, RoundTrip Program Manager

In addition to cutting emissions, participants saved more than $7,000 in fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, burned nearly one million calories and traveled over 28,000 miles, all while reducing the number of cars on the road in Dane County.

RoundTrip’s next transportation challenge is set for spring 2025. For more information or to sign up, visit www.RoundTripGreaterMadison.org.

About RoundTrip: RoundTrip is a program of the Greater Madison MPO that connects individuals and employers in Dane County with alternatives to driving alone. RoundTrip’s work is funded in part through grants from the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, and by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Additional support is provided by the City of Madison, Metro Transit, Dane County and UW-Madison. RoundTrip works with local partners to raise awareness and deliver incentives that support affordable, sustainable options. 

About the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): The Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO)is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Madison Urban Area. The MPO leads a cooperative, comprehensive regional transportation planning and decision-making process for the greater Madison area and awards millions of dollars of federal funding to local transportation projects.

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