It’s no secret that traffic in the Valley has steadily increased. That’s why Clean Energy Economy for the Region (CLEER) launched Two Rivers Connect earlier this month. In partnership with the City of Glenwood Springs, Garfield Clean Energy, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA), Garfield County Libraries, chambers of commerce in Garfield County, the Glenwood Springs Downtown Development Authority and the Colorado River Valley Economic Development Partnership, an app has been launched for this initiative where users can log their miles traveled through alternative methods of transportation (anything but a personal vehicle) to lessen the amount of cars on the roads.
When users log a trip that is not a single-occupancy vehicle ride — such as biking to work, taking the bus for errands, carpooling to events or even walking to places that don’t require the use of a car — they can earn points within the app that count toward a plethora of rewards and benefits. These include the chance to win an electric bike, ski resort passes, hot springs passes, a paragliding flight, Crystal Theatre tickets and gift cards to local restaurants and shops.
“Basically, the goal is to create a program that encourages people to learn about and adopt new ways of getting around,” Dova Castañeda Zilly, clean mobility program manager at CLEER, told The Sopris Sun. “So, walking, biking, taking the bus, carpooling, vanpooling and working remotely — basically anything that can encourage someone to think, ‘Okay, I drive my car from here to here. How could that car trip not be just a single-occupancy car trip?’”
She continued, “It’s not just commuting. We totally understand that not everyone can change how they get to work, and some people have to drive. It’s also about how you get to the grocery store, the park-and-ride to take the bus or how you go to your friend’s house. It’s about the in-town commuting trips.”
These sentiments were echoed by Joy Hamilton, communications manager at CLEER, who said the initiative is designed to encourage folks to slowly start changing their transportation habits, as opposed to all at once.
“The goal of this initiative is to get people to think about just one day a week to change things. We’re trying to make it accessible to folks by encouraging them to try one day carpooling or one day biking, and not trying to make it super difficult for people to achieve, which I think is a cool part of the program — that incremental change,” Hamilton stated.
This project was made possible through a Transportation Management Organization grant from CDOT. CLEER and RFTA worked closely on incubating the project after recognizing how significantly traffic has grown over the course of several years. According to a Two Rivers Connect press release, data collected from CDOT’s Online Transportation Information Station demonstrates a 33% increase in traffic on I-70 west of Silt and 23% on Highway 82 south of Glenwood Springs from 2013 to 2023.
“We [at CLEER] can’t say for certain why traffic has increased — we’re just trying to think about how we can make getting around in towns and throughout the region more enjoyable for everyone,” Castañeda Zilly said.
In addition to encouraging users and community members to find alternative modes of transportation, Two Rivers Connect also features an employer network, which allows employers to help with engagement by sharing incentives and finding carpools throughout the system.
“We’ve reached out to a number of employers. Some of the ones signed up so far include Valley View Hospital, Roaring Fork and Aspen school districts, RFTA, Holy Cross Energy, and the list is growing,” Castañeda Zilly stated. “We had a very quick launch at the beginning of the month, and we’re really working to continue that engagement and growth.”
The program is planned to continue through 2026 and is one of many steps toward reducing traffic in the Valley.
To participate in Two Rivers Connect, visit www.tworiversconnect.garfieldcleanenergy.org or download the app using Apple or Google stores.