Summer Commute Challenge

Ditch the car, get rewarded.

This summer you can earn rewards for leaving your car at home. Commute Options and the Old Mill District introduce the "Summer Commute Challenge" to reduce seasonal traffic in Bend. The Summer Challenge offers prizes for concert-goers, diners, employees, and shoppers who walk, bike, carpool, or take transit to the Old Mill District from June through September.

This year's challenge expands on past initiatives to cover the entire summer, rewarding residents, visitors, and employees who choose sustainable transportation to the Old Mill District and Hayden Homes Amphitheater during the region's busiest travel months.

“Expanding the challenge to cover the full summer allows us to build lasting sustainable habits during Bend's peak travel season,” said Aoibhe Richardson, Transportation Options Coordinator at Commute Options. “By choosing to walk, bike, carpool, or bus to the Old Mill District, community members can get rewarded for their everyday summer outings—from shopping and dinner to live music. It makes the commute fun, reduces parking hassle, and actively keeps Central Oregon less congested.”

Participating in the “Summer Commute Challenge” is simple:

1. Set up Your Account: Go to the Get There Oregon Website, download the Get There Connect app or track from your home computer.

2. Move: Walk, bike, scoot, carpool, or take the bus to the Old Mill District or a Hayden Homes Amphitheater concert.

3. Log: Track trips between June 1 and Sept. 30. Simply enter an address anywhere within the Old Mill District boundary for the trip to qualify for rewards.

4. Win: Every logged trip counts as an entry for prizes!

To sweeten the challenge this summer, participants are eligible for monthly prize drawings featuring concert tickets, hoodies, t-shirts, Hydro Flasks, and more.

"We have this beautiful river that flows through the district, reminding us every day that environmental stewardship must be at the forefront of everything we do," said Amanda Bird-Zimmerman, Old Mill District assistant marketing director. "Every time we ditch the single-occupancy vehicle route, we reduce our impact on our natural surroundings, minimize traffic congestion, and honestly, it's really hard not to be happy when riding a bike."

At the end of September, one grand prize winner will take home a $250 Old Mill District gift bundle, which includes an Old Mill District gift card that can be used directly toward future concert tickets. For more information on how to join the challenge, set up a tracking profile, or find alternative routes to the Old Mill District, visit the official challenge landing page at commuteoptions.org/summer-commute-challenge or contact Commute Options at info@commuteoptions.org.