Oregon Launched Get There Challenge to Reduce Commutes

Employers can leverage this incentive program to encourage staff to transition away from solo vehicle travel.

Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Remote Work

Bold vector editorial illustration of a bus on a mountain road, representing sustainable transit initiatives in Oregon.
Commute Options has launched the statewide Get There Challenge in Oregon, offering financial incentives for employees who use transit or carpooling instead of driving alone. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Commute Options has initiated the statewide Get There Challenge, a program designed to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips across Oregon. By logging non-solo commutes, workers may qualify for various financial incentives.

Why it matters

The initiative aims to decrease traffic congestion and fuel costs for Oregon businesses by incentivizing sustainable travel methods. It highlights the continued focus on managing employee transit impacts as part of broader operational sustainability goals.

The challenge includes 14 weekly $25 prizes and 3 grand prize $100 gift cards, with 30 additional local gift cards available for Central Oregon participants. This initiative addresses the impact of individual transport, where a standard passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tons of CO2 annually.

The players

Commute Options

A regional organization that coordinates transportation demand management programs and promotes sustainable commute strategies for businesses and residents.

The details

Participants register through the Get There Connect platform and record their non-solo trips, such as carpooling or transit use, to qualify for prize drawings. Logging at least one trip during each of the two challenge weeks is a requirement to enter the grand prize raffle. Employers can use this structured format to support internal commuting programs without managing their own incentive payouts.

Timeline

  1. • The challenge began on October 1, 2026.

  2. • The event concludes on October 14, 2026.

Market Landscape

This program follows a trend of regional transportation initiatives aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of private vehicle usage, which the EPA identifies as a major source of annual emissions. It serves as a localized version of corporate efforts to manage scope 3 emissions by incentivizing cleaner employee commuting behaviors.

Business owners in Oregon should consider promoting the platform to staff as a zero-cost way to encourage commute-related savings and sustainability metrics. Management may track participation rates on the portal to gauge employee engagement in flexible or sustainable commuting initiatives.

The takeaway

This initiative provides a plug-and-play incentive model for companies seeking to lower traffic and parking demand without direct capital expenditure. Managers should monitor employee registration levels throughout the program to determine if transit incentives are a viable long-term retention tool.

What happens next

The Get There Challenge will conclude on October 14, 2026, at which point the final prize drawings will occur.

Further reading

For more strategies on managing employee transit and hybrid office trends, see Remote Work.

More information

To register employees or track trip logs, visit the Commute Options registration portal.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Source - Bend, Oregon.

Live Poll

Would you swap driving alone for biking, walking, or public transit to commute this month?