Spokane County’s 14th annual "Way to Go" Awards Ceremony brought together the business community, elected officials, and clean air advocates to honor those whose leadership and extraordinary efforts are reducing vehicle emissions by finding alternatives to solo commute trips to-and-from work. With nearly 250 guests gathered at the Davenport Hotel on February 4, 2010, the Master of Ceremonies, Commissioner Bonnie Mager welcomed everyone including Mayor Trulove from the City of Cheney, Mayor Van Orman from the City of Liberty Lake, Mayor Verner from the City of Spokane, Spokane County Commissioner Mielke, Council Members Steve Corker, Jo
e Shogan and Amber Waldres from the City of Spokane, Council Member Rose Dempsey from the City of Spokane Valley, David Condon, Deputy Chief of Staff and District Director for Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Erin Vincent, Eastern Washington Director for U.S. Senator Patty Murray and Marcus Riccelli, Eastern Washington Director for U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell.
Guest Speaker, Mayor Mary Verner shared the ongoing efforts and progress of sustainability in Spokane. With the designation of the Growth and Transportation Efficiency Center, better known as the GTEC, in downtown Spokane, Mayor Verner’s support and advocacy helped the GTEC achieve a 11.1% reduction in drive alone rates in just ten months. Partnerships with local businesses and organizations were also key to the GTECs success.
In April 2009, CTR-affected worksites surveyed toward a 10 percent reduction in Drive Alone Rate and 13% in Vehicle Miles Traveled. Out of 99 CTR-affected worksites who surveyed, 39 worksites made the drive alone and/or VMT goals. 19 worksites made at least a 50% or more progress toward the goals and another 19 made some progress. An overwhelming total of 79 percent of all CTR-affected worksites made progress! Click here to see the worksites that made progress toward their 2011 goal.
Highlighting the event was the presentation of the coveted Pinnacle Awards to The Fernwell Building, City of Spokane – City Hall a
nd WA State Department of L & I. These employers have gone far beyond the minimum requirements to demonstrate a firm understanding of the true benefits of trip reduction activities -- cleaner air, healthier employees, reduced traffic and an overall enhancement of the quality of life in Spokane County. For a complete story on the Pinnacle Award winners, click on their name.
The awards event included special recognition of the four 2009 All Star Coaches (ETCs) and twelve Most Valuable Commuters (MVCs). The All Star Coaches get personally involved with employees to help them find the best commute alternative, they "walk their talk" by using a commute alternative and they are continually working to enhance their CTR program to better meet employee needs. Most Valuable Commuters show a demonstrated commitment to commute alternatives and serve as an advocate by encouraging fellow employees to discover the alternatives to driving alone. For story highlights on each All Star Coach and MVC, please click here.
The second annual Spokane Transit Award was presented to Sterling Savings. With the largest growth of employee participation in the Employee Sponsored Bus Pass program, Sterling Savings had a 37.4 increase in pass purchases compared to 2008 and purchased an additional 931 passes in 2009 over 2008.
The sixth annual Clean Air Award was presented to Fiber Tech Industries. Demonstrating an ongoing commitment to improve air quality by reducing its overall air emissions, Fiber Tech Industries began implementing several major pollution prevention technologies at their Spokane facility. Today, with all of the new advances in place, their facility-wide styrene and other volatile organic compounds have been reduced by 98 tons per year. This translates to a 55 percent emissions reduction!
Congratulations to all the 2009 winners! Their commitment to clean air, mobility and preserving the quality of life, which makes Spokane a special place to live is tremendous. Way to Go!
