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V O L . X X I I I N O. X X V I O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 7 18 R ick Harbison is one of a number of employees at the Greater Portland Council of Governments who commute in a "green" way. For Harbison, that means biking 2.5 miles each way between home and work. In the winter, he dresses in a warm jacket and mittens, a hat under his helmet and sometimes a scarf over his face. "It probably takes the same amount of time for me to bike as it does to drive," he says. "It's a refreshing part of your day. Every day is a little bit of an adven- ture. Some days are pleasant and easy. Other days, in the winter, going around Back Cove you're like an Arctic explorer. But I've got mostly a desk job, so it adds variety to the day." Refl ecting a national trend Green commuting, also called "smart travel" and "smart commute," is a nationwide trend that includes biking, walking, car-pooling, van-pooling, and public transit. For many Mainers, green commuting might not be a top-of-mind issue unless gas hits $4 per gal- lon and they start thinking about car-pools or public transportation. But green commuters cite parking congestion, convenience, and environmental and health benefi ts as top reasons to trade single-occu- pancy vehicles for other modes of transportation. In Maine, green commuting has been getting a boost from Go Maine. A collaboration since the early 2000s between the Maine Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority, Go Maine has primarily worked to encourage car- pooling and van-pooling, with 5,907 members in it database. e organization encourages other forms of green commuting, too, and held a promotion in October through its Way 2 Go Maine, a business- to-business commuter challenge. e challenge encourages employees to get their "greener com- mute on" by fi nding a carpool partner or commuting by bike or bus, then recording trips on Go Maine's leaderboard for the prospect of winning prizes for the most "greener" trips traveled. We Help Ecommerce Businesses Sell More Online CALL (207) 613-0655 FOR A FREE ECOMMERCE ASSESSMENT 100 Fore St. Suite C Portland, ME 04101 www.ibeccreative.com C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 0 ยป P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S Jennifer Brennan, the energy projects manager at Greater Portland Council of Governments, charges her Mercedes-Benz Smart Fortwo at the Level 2 charging station at the offi ce in Portland. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY ree comu b Y L a U r i e s c h r e i b e r Sustainable transportation options are trending