Bikers on John Nolen for Ride the Drive.
City of Madison

Dane County Residents Make Big Impact Choosing Sustainable Transportation this April

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Hundreds of Dane County residents took part in a free transportation challenge this April, swapping solo car trips for more sustainable options like biking, walking/rolling, riding the bus and carpooling. The result? Over 15 tons of carbon dioxide emissions were avoided—roughly the same as getting four gas-powered vehicles off the road for an entire year.

The Spring Roll Challenge, hosted by the RoundTrip program, ran throughout April in celebration of Earth Month. RoundTrip is a free public program of the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) that helps connect Dane County residents and employees to affordable, sustainable alternatives to driving alone.

Participants logged over 8,100 trips by bike, bus, walking/rolling and carpool throughout April, making this our biggest challenge yet. The results show how our small daily choices—like walking to the store or carpooling with a friend—can add up to a big difference for our environment. 

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Zia Brucaya, RoundTrip Program Manager

The impact went beyond emissions. Collectively, participants saved $10,000 on gas and car maintenance costs, burned 900,000 calories and avoided over 45,000 miles of drive-alone travel.

Everyone who logged at least six trips per week—and 30 throughout April—by walking, biking, carpooling, or riding the bus, was entered into weekly and grand prize drawings that included prizes generously donated by Willy Street Co-op, Ian’s Pizza and Madison BCycle.

RoundTrip will host its next transportation challenge in September. To learn more, sign up and explore sustainable transportation options in Dane County, visit www.RoundTripGreaterMadison.org.

About RoundTrip: RoundTrip is a program of the Greater Madison MPO that helps individuals and employers in Dane County access affordable, sustainable alternatives to driving alone. In 2024, RoundTrip members logged more than 16,000 green trips—saving $27,000, burning three million calories, and cutting 35.5 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

About the Greater Madison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): The Greater Madison MPO leads a cooperative, comprehensive regional transportation planning and decision-making process for the greater Madison area and allocates millions of dollars of federal funding to local transportation projects.

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