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Residents of a Minnesota community are driving less and walking, biking and busing more — thanks to St. Paul Smart Trips’ efforts to promote sustainable transportation alternatives.

Since its inception in 2008, the Smart Trips program has used direct, individualized marketing techniques to help more than 3,000 households in three St. Paul communities make smarter trips. According to the follow-up survey of the most recent program in Highlands Park, residents…

• Increased biking by three percent
• Increased walking by five percent
• Reduced drive-alone trips by three percent

... all during a six-month period. Even more impressive: More than 80 percent of survey respondents reported taking new walking, biking or transit trips as a result of the program!

Smart Trips achieves these impressive results through direct mailings, bike deliveries of Smart Trip Kits and free events that engage households and get them the information they need to explore sustainable transportation options. “We’ve found that the more engaged neighborhood stakeholders are in the development and implementation of the program, the more successful it is,” says Program Director Emma Pachuta. “Each of our past programs has included a coupon book for neighborhood businesses and has engaged local experts to lead rides, walks and classes. These local connections have helped to foster an excitement and commitment to our program.”

Smart Trips also tailors each new program to suit the unique transportation needs of the target community. Highland Park has a high percentage of senior citizens, so Smart Trips held focus groups on the best ways to engage older residents.“Our results concluded that having events that included all members of the community, regardless of age, income, ethnicity, was the best way to engage residents in any neighborhood,” say Emma. “For example, a group ride would be advertised as a “no drop ride” where no one is left behind, regardless of pace.”

St. Paul Smart Trips envisions a future where sustainable transportation is a safe and easy choice for all St. Paul residents. They hope to bring the Smart Trips Program to every neighborhood. “For our future programs, we have discussed how lack of good bike/walk infrastructure, higher rates of crime, and language barriers may impact participation,” say Emma. “Thus far, the selected neighborhoods have been fairly similar to each other without the need to address those barriers.” So, right now, the advocates are looking at ways to adapt the model to serve the diverse needs and characteristics found across St. Paul neighborhoods.

For more information, contact Emma Pachuta at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), or visit the Alliance Resource Library to access Smart Trips final reports and maps.

Updated and improved, the second edition of “Explore Maine by Bike” was released this month by the Bicycle Coalition of Maine and the Maine Department of Transportation.

The full-color booklet details 33 bicycle routes across the state, from 10-mile jaunts to 100-mile adventures. Each route includes, not only a cue sheet and map, but also descriptions and photos of the scenery, notes on the terrain and insight into the road conditions.

The BCM was contracted by the Maine DOT to develop the substance of the book and the first edition debuted in 2003. While the Maine DOT designs, publishes and prints the resource, BCM distributes it free of charge.

And the second edition is even better than the first. According to Allison Vogt, executive director of the BCM, the cue sheets have been improved and more options have been added for cyclists seeking shorter routes. “We’ve also made huge strides in the multi-use path and trail infrastructure in the state, including the 85-mile Downeast Sunrise Trail that was opened last week,” Vogt says.

The roads are safer now, too. Since the initial publication of “Explore Maine by Bicycle,” the state passed a three-foot passing law and the BCM has engaged in a consistent media campaign to publicize the statute.

“Regardless of whether you prefer to ride 10 miles or 50, live in Maine or just visit, the Explore Maine by Bike book is an amazing resource,” Vogt says. “You can conveniently and easily access Maine’s roads and trails with the help of cue sheets and background information that helps you get the most our of your ride.”

Read more about the Bicycle Coalition of Maine here.