Summer is right around the corner, and it is the perfect time to Break Up with Your Car. Dump that gas guzzler and treat yourself to what you truly deserve: fresh air, lower emissions, and a commute that doesn’t involve a $5 a gallon heartbreak. It’s never been easier to ghost those single-occupancy vehicle miles. Whether your new fling is walking, bussing, biking, unicycling, carpooling, or skipping, there is a greener option for everyone!
If you are not quite ready to give your car up for good, don’t worry. Eagle County has your back with plenty of programs to help ease you into a more sustainable relationship with transportation. Bike to Work Day on June 25th is the perfect time to hard launch your new low-emissions lifestyle. Join thousands of Colorado commuters who will be trading in their car for two wheels, and stop by one of the several Bike to Work Day stations across Eagle County to pick up a snack or some swag. And you're not limited to just biking! Take any form of transportation alternative to solo driving to win cool prizes! To enter the prize drawing, submit a photo of yourself "breaking up' with your car. Stop by a Bike to Work Day station to scan the Break Up with Your Car QR code or submit your photo online here.
You can turn your summer fling into a long-term romance by investing in an e-bike. In addition to state incentives, local rebates are available from Holy Cross Energy, Edwards Metro District, and the Town of Avon. If you aren't ready to settle down, you can try out Shift Bike, a local e-bike share program. It is a fun, affordable way to get around and explore Vail to Edwards without the commitment.
Whether you are walking, biking, or riding a unicycle, swapping car trips for human-powered travel earns you a spot in the Sole Power Challenge. This green commuting competition runs from Memorial Day (May 29th) to Indigenous People’s Day (October 9th). Compete as an individual or team up with your friends, and try to top the leaderboard for the chance at prizes and tickets to social events. Whether you're in it to win or just to feel good, every mile makes a difference.
Incentives to ditch your toxic car are popping up all over Eagle County! If you Break Up with Your Car when going to Amp Summer Concerts or Showdown Town in Eagle, you can be entered into a drawing to win concert gift cards when you scan the QR code at the events. The more concerts you break up with your car to, the higher your chance of winning one of the prize drawings on August 1st and October 6th. You can also utilize the bike valet at Hot Summer Nights or get free parking when carpooling with four or more people to Vail events. It’s the safer, cheaper, more fun way to travel. Prefer to ride something faster and bigger? Core Transit's Summer Schedule has more trips, better connections, and FARE-FREE rides on most routes.
Whether you’re ready to walk away from your car for good or just testing the waters, this summer is the ideal time to rethink the way you move. Being the cleaner, greener, cheaper, and more thrilling option, breaking up with your car might be the healthiest relationship decision you make all year.
Hannah Remke is the Sustainability Outreach Fellow at Walking Mountains.
