- The Awards
- The RFPs
- Top 20 Concepts
- Adopt-A-Stop
- Alternative Transportation Day
- Art Aware
- Bus Stop Info Hub
- Carrie Furnace Green
- Community Exchange Club
- Community Use Space
- Consumer Recycling Network
- Greater Pittsburgh Web Hub
- Hot Spot Signs
- Information Kiosks
- Manchester Climbing Wall
- Mix Burgh
- Neighborhood Cleanup Competition
- Pittsburgh Guidebook
- Raise the Green Roof
- Signature Festivals
- Sustainable Urban Farming Initiative
- Yellow Bike Project
- Youth at the Table
- Big Idea Book
- Image Galleries
Alternative Transportation Day
advocacy | alternative | bikes | competition | energy | festival | fuel | mapping | race | sustainability
Concept:
A summary of the idea, the needs it serves, and a description of a possible pilot program
Decreasing fossil fuel dependence is a pressing issue at the personal level as well as city, state, and nation-wide. By engaging everyday commuters in an active search for quick and reliable alternatives to personal car use, a festival and competition for alternative methods of transportation would educate participants about new ways of getting around the city and the benefits of public transit and bike use as well as showcasing the ongoing advances in transportation technology here in Pittsburgh.
A proper festival should include an exposition of alternative fuels and vehicles, presentations on the health benefits of walking and cycling, the global effects of fossil fuel dependence, and panel discussions featuring alternative transport advocates.
A competition could be held to find the best routes between a number of Pittsburgh landmarks, followed by a scavenger hunt or road-rally with stops at sponsoring organizations. Participants would have to navigate the course by walking, biking, or riding mass transit. Checkpoints could be arranged with sponsoring businesses along the route.
A possible route could start with an exposition at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and then a race through Pittsburgh to the Hazelwood LTV site.
Priorities:
These ideals are integral to a successful project design
- promoting more frequent use of alternative transportation options
- encouraging respect for bicyclists and their safety
- bridging gaps between advocacy groups and the public
Concerns:
Possible difficulties, pitfalls, and obstacles to consider
- using city streets for competition
- cooperation among public and private transportation groups
Idea History:
Learn more about the idea, from genesis to dialogue
This concept incorporates pieces of Get Off the Gas from room 525 and Where to, Pittsburgh? from room 524.
Get off the Gas, led by Ann Rosenthal, Jan Held, Jessica Misken, and Peter Eberhart. They saw opportunities for partnering with community groups and organizations like Venture Outdoors, Bike Pittsburgh, and Steel City Biofuels to participate in the summit and support the promotion and implementation.
One online commenter suggested a voluntary, city-wide "car-free day" as an alternative to an all out festival.
Where to, Pittsburgh? leaders Amy Lovell, Margaret Krumm, and Katie Linkhauer thought their festival would take place during the summer. Their focus was the biking community, raising awareness and respect for it, introducing new members, and increasing bike safety.
Related Links:
Get to know these groups, organizations, projects, and authorities, their current and past activities, the possibility for consultation or partnership, and in-roads to collaboration.
- Bike Pittsburgh
- FreeRide
- Kayak Pgh
- Port Authority Transit
- REI
- Steel City Biofuels
- Venture Outdoors
- MapHub
- Fossil Free Fuel
General Questions:
These important questions are asked of each idea. Try your hand at answering them as a way to explore the idea and how to make it happen. Answers to these questions help to demonstrate the Idea's strength and potential for success.
- What level is the idea at? (Research, Planning, Fundraising, Advocacy, Deployment, other (explain))
- What is a reasonable next step/phase for the concept? How can investment move the idea forward?
- What other resources or opportunities are available or necessary to make the idea happen?
- What existing activities or organizations in Pittsburgh duplicate some or all of the program components? How can this idea compete with, complement, and/or learn from these other activities?
- Who should be included in this discussion? Does the concept call for outside consultation or assistance from other organizations?
- How should the idea be promoted?
- How should project success be measured?
- What questions should be asked of a proposal for this project?
Starter Questions:
These questions address some of the anticipated programmatic concerns that come with administering small projects. Consider them test questions for model projects-- responses should be incorporated into the project's design.
- Where will the exposition be held and who will be invited to present?
- How will the event be structured and what kinds of activities will take place?
- Who will design the road rally and how will traffic be accommodated?
- How will partnering organizations be solicited and compensated?
- What sponsorship opportunities exist?
- When will the event be held?
