La Jolla Business Wins A Green Commute Challenge Award

Six local employers including La Jolla-based Scripps Research Institute won the Rideshare 2011 Corporate Challenge sponsored by SANDAG. The challenge encourages solo drivers to bike, walk, use public transit, work from home or carpool to work.

The winners are as follows:

San Diego Coastkeeper Best Micro Company (1–25 employees)

Parsons Brinckerhoff Best Small Company (26–150 employees)

URS Corporation Best Medium Company (151–750 employees)

Caltrans, District 11 Best Large Company (751–1,500 employees)

Scripps Research Institute Best Macro Company (1,501–5,000 employees)

Sharp HealthCare Best Mega Company (5,001+ employees)

“The employees at the winning companies are to be commended for setting an example for the rest of the region,” SANDAG Executive Director Gary Gallegos said in a release. “They helped reduce this region’s congestion and cut greenhouse gas emissions by getting out of their cars and trying alternative ways to get to and from work.”

SANDAG also sponsored a Commuter Challenge in October. The challenge, aimed at the general public, encouraged drivers to think greener in their own travels. These participants tracked their alternative commutes online. The Rideshare 2011 Corporate and Commuter Challenges generated significant environmental benefits, according to SANDAG. Nearly 66,000 alternative commute trips were taken, resulting in 1.5 million vehicle miles not traveled. That translated into 67,066 gallons of gasoline saved; 1.3 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions reduced; and $910,657 in fuel and vehicle maintenance costs saved.