Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership (EVAL) Information:
 
Funded by the Department of Energy, Forth has created a certification to recognize employers and workplaces leading the charge to address climate change and lower emissions by providing clean transportation options at the workplace.
 
Are you a business ready to highlight your commitment to sustainability? Sign up now to earn your certification—completely free until October 31st! Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your leadership in sustainability.
 
What is Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership (EVAL)? 
EVAL is a free workplace charging certification program that offers tools and resources to increase workplace charging.
 
The EVAL certification helps businesses and employers

• Demonstrate sustainability leadership
• Increases property value
• Attract and retain talent
• Reduce emissions from commutes
• Achieve sustainability goals

 
Employers from all industries and sizes, including state, local or Tribal government entities, community-based organizations and nonprofits, are eligible to apply.
 
EVAL-certified employers receive a variety of perks and recognition, including a certificate, multimedia promotions from Forth and partners, the opportunity to participate in the EVAL Roundtable Workgroup, templates and resources, and a spotlight on the EVAL website.
 
Check out the EVAL website for more information. 

You can reach out to [email protected] for any questions you may have. Additionally, WTA is here to support you with your EVAL Certification application. Don’t hesitate to contact us for more details.

The results are in! Our 2024 Active Transportation Challenge winners are:

WTA League Team Awards
First Place: City of Hillsboro
Second Place: Vernier Science Education

Individual Grand Prize Winners
First Place: Lauren, LAIKA Studios
Second Place: Melinda, City of Hillsboro
Third Place: Nick, City of Hillsboro

Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who participated. Overall we had 91 participants and 9 teams in the Challenge, logging a grand total of 2,172 trips and 14,114 miles! Well done everybody.

Keep an eye out for more challenges coming your way, and see you next year for the 2025 Active Transportation Challenge!

The Get There Car Free Challenge is right around the corner! From Sept. 16–22, take the pledge to drive less for a week or log at least 2 trips taken by transit, walking, biking, scooter, carpooling, and vanpooling for the chance to win prizes! Check out what you could win at GetThereOregon.org/Challenge.

The final day of the challenge, September 22, will celebrate the annual World Car Free Day event and the many benefits of driving less.

​Save the date! Comment period on limited toll rules opens Sept. 1
A limited set of proposed toll rule updates will be put out for public comment on September 1. The proposed updated rules focus on how the Oregon Transportation Commission will designate a road a tollway, as well as the process for the OTC to set, review, and update rates, as having processes in place for all of these will be needed to move forward on the planned bi-state facility on the Interstate Bridge.
The draft proposed rules will go out for formal public comment starting September 1 and close on October 3. A virtual public hearing on the limited rules will be held on September 18 from 12-1:30 p.m. ODOT plans to present the draft rules to the OTC for their formal approval at the November 14 meeting.

Visit Oregon Limited Toll Rules Update to learn more about the limited toll rules update, comment period, and virtual hearing. The rules will be posted on this website September 1.
In March of this year, ODOT paused work on various elements of Oregon’s toll program. This included indefinitely pausing work on any tolling of I-205 Abernethy Bridge and halting work entirely on the Regional Mobility Pricing Project, which was exploring tolling all of I-5 and I-205 on the Oregon side of the Portland metro region. The only tolled facility moving forward is the Interstate Bridge Replacement program, which would be tolled by the Washington State Department of Transportation, with toll rates and policies jointly set by the Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC) and the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC). To follow this process, subscribe to updates from the Bi-state tolling subcommittee, made up of members from OTC and WSTC as they continue to discuss the toll rates and policies related to the Interstate Bridge.

ODOT paused further work on the rules until they could determine what portion of the rules need to move forward. ODOT has developed a limited set of proposed rule updates to be published for a formal public comment process in September. 

These limited toll rules are based on the draft rules that the Statewide Toll Rulemaking Advisory Committee helped ODOT develop for tolling. A number of sections that were included in the original draft update, including discounts and exemptions, are not included because they were related to collection of tolls by ODOT and ODOT is no longer collecting tolls.

Learn more and get involved! Visit Oregon Limited Toll Rules Update.
Interstate Bridge Replacement Program News
The IBR program gains more momentum with the award of $1.499 billion through the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program. Interstate Bridge Replacement program officials are excited to share the program received $1.499 billion through the Federal Highway Administration’s Bridge Investment Program. The award was announced by congressional offices on July 12th.​

Getting started with Get There Oregon is simple and free. Discover the benefits of transportation options, access webinars, toolkits, and other resources to kickstart a commute benefit program for your employees. Contact WTA if you have any questions or would like additional support. We're here to help! 

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, companies are increasingly looking for innovative ways to enhance recruitment and retention, improve sustainability efforts, and reduce operational costs. One such solution gaining popularity is the implementation of bike lending programs. These initiatives not only promote a healthier lifestyle but also contribute to a greener environment while offering tangible benefits to businesses and employees. Here’s how your business could greatly benefit from adopting a bike lending program:

1. Bikes encourage active transportation: A bike loan program can motivate employees to bike more by offering easy access to bikes, thereby overcoming significant barriers that deter new cyclists from starting. Additionally, providing equipment, repairs, maps, and support further facilitates their engagement and success in cycling. Cycling is a great form of exercise known to reduce stress and improve health. Employees who have less stress are happier, more productive, and take less sick days.

2. A bike loan program makes financial sense to both employees and the company. Employees can save a significant amount of money by switching from driving to work to bike commuting. If those employees associate their workplace with that savings because they had the opportunity to try a bike loan, this adds to a positive employer-employee relationship, which can help improve employee retention.

3. A bike loan program will be a positive addition to the workplace: Bike share programs enhance work environments by fostering positive engagement and camaraderie among cyclists. Employers also demonstrate leadership in supporting sustainability initiatives that benefit both employees and the environment.

To discover how WTA has achieved success with bike lending programs and explore how we can support transportation options for your business, reach out to us today! 

The Transportation Options Group of Oregon (TOGO) and the Washington State Ridesharing Organization (WSRO) are excited to announce an upcoming webinar on Thursday, June 13 at 1:00 p.m. on Zoom. 

This special webinar entitled “Employer Commute Programs for Every Budget” will feature Employee Transportation Coordinators (ETCs) from both Oregon and Washington who implement top-notch employer commute programs. The speakers will give a brief presentation and be available for questions and a round table discussion with attendees.

Date: June 13, 2024
Time: 1:00 to 2:00 pm
Location: Zoom

Speakers:

• Heidi Speight, Tableau from Salesforce
• Faye Hansen, Clark County Public Utilities District
• Trygve Bolken, Deschutes County
• TBA

Please RSVP for the webinar here. This webinar is open to members and non-members of TOGO and WSRO. Not a member of TOGO yet, please consider doing so here. 

The Active Transportation Challenge is here! This is a friendly competition for people that live or work in Washington County and employees of WTA member organizations. Walk, bicycle, scooter, and skateboard trips all count! Starting today, walk or roll to work, to the store, or for fun and log your trips on GetThereOregon.org to participate.
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On April 8, we hosted a virtual workshop where we discussed the Challenge, this year's prizes, and the coveted WTA League trophy! Watch the recording here. 
​
​If you have an account on GetThereOregon.org and a home or work address in Washington County, or are part of a WTA member organization network, you are automatically entered into the Challenge. If you don’t have an account yet, create one for free to join.

Join or form a team with your coworkers or friends! Joining a team is optional, but the Challenge is a great way to reconnect with coworkers that are working remotely or that you don’t see as often because of hybrid schedules. It takes four people to make an official team. Teams from WTA member organizations compete for the WTA League Championship Trophy.​​

Learn more about the Challenge and prizes here, and see leaderboards and join/form a team here!