New Rochelle Named Winner Of Green Cities Commuter Challenge

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New Rochelle was named the winner of the state's first Green Cities Commute Challenge by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). The voluntary, friendly competition among employees in three Westchester cities was to see which could reduce greenhouse gas emissions the most over two years. All three cities reduced the number of employees driving alone to work by using alternate modes of transportation, supporting Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s ambitious clean energy goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul announced the winner Thursday, Dec. 14 at New Rochelle City Hall.

Last year, the Lieutenant Governor kicked off the callenge with the mayors of New Rochelle, White Plains and Yonkers. Combined, city employees who stopped driving to work alone and used alternate modes of transportation increased from 15 percent to 23 percent in the first year.

"New York State's aggressive mandate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with an emphasis on the transportation sector, which is the largest contributor of these emissions, sets a golden standard for the rest of the nation to follow," Hochul said. "The Green Cities Commuter Challenge demonstrates how New York's local governments are playing a leading role in combatting climate change and making their communities greener."

To start the challenge, surveys were conducted in the fall of 2016 to determine commuting habits of the city employees (e.g., how many miles they drive to work, if they ride a bike, etc.). Over the course of the next year, the cities used a variety of methods to promote the challenge such as highlighting it at city events, emails, staff meetings, internal websites and flyers.

In addition, four 55-inch screens were installed in public areas to show local bus and train schedules as well as information about carpools and van pools: one at New Rochelle City Hall; one in the White Plains downtown business district; and two in Yonkers (Yonkers Public Library-Riverfront Library and Yonkers City Hall).

Specific websites were also created for each city so employees could access real-time local transportation information along with links to the 511NY Rideshare program, which has a ride-matching system and provides general transportation information.

City employees can also access information relating to the progress of the competition, tips for commuting, upcoming workshops and special events to learn about commuting options.

Follow-up surveys were done this past fall to see how many employees were no longer driving cars alone to work, but rather using alternate forms of transportation such as carpools, public transportation, riding bikes or walking. Since there is a wide variation in the number of employees in the cities, the winner was chosen based on the percentage of employees participating.

As a result, New Rochelle was named the first-year winner for almost doubling the number of employees being “green commuters” and no longer driving to work alone every day. White Plains was second, followed closely by Yonkers.

New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson said that while he was New Rochelle came out ahead, all three cities were winners.

“By switching to sustainable forms of transportation, our employees are saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cutting costs and setting a great example for everyone in our region,” he said.

Photo credit: City of New Rochelle.