UTSA community invited to Walk & Roll

By Tim Brownlee
Assistant Director of Public Affairs

(June 7, 2006)--UTSA students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate this month in the Walk & Roll Corporate Challenge. The initiative promotes the use of public transit and carpooling to help improve air quality in the Alamo Region. With fewer commuters riding alone in their cars, it helps the environment.

UTSA community participants will log smart-commute miles in the competition categories of walking, cycling, car/van pooling or busing.

The Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG), Metropolitan Planning Organization and the City of San Antonio have challenged UTSA and other employers to participate in the June event. All organizations in the AACOG 12-county region (Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Frio, Gillespie, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Medina and Wilson) are eligible to participate.

The organization with the best record will receive the Walk & Roll Commuters Challenge Cup. Participants utilizing alternative modes of transportation in the commute to and from work or school will log their miles at the Walk & Roll Corporate Challenge Web site.

As a reminder, miles accumulated through the UTSA Rideshare Service count toward Walk & Roll Challenge miles. The new service, offered through the UTSA Parking and Transportation Web site, facilitates ride-share and carpool matching for faculty, staff and students.

To participate in the challenge, complete the online pledge form in order for UTSA's progress to be tracked. On the form, each participant will create a user name and password and identify UTSA as their organization. All personal information remains confidential -- participants are identified only by user name. Each organization's smart-commute miles will be updated daily at the Walk & Roll Web site.

For more information, contact Dave Kapalko, UTSA Parking and Transportation Services, at (210) 458-PARK (7275).