Individuals and communities benefit when more daily trips are made by walking, bicycling, sharing rides and riding the bus. Benefits include:
Greater mobility and access for all, including non-drivers
More cost-effective public investments in transportation
A stronger local economy
Higher property values
A more attractive community
Safer streets and sidewalks
Better air and water quality
Healthier citizens
Stronger social connections
Recognizing this, WCOG has created Whatcom Smart Trips, a program that helps community members make more of their trips by walking, bicycling, sharing rides or riding the bus. The program is administered and operated by WCOG with the support of Whatcom Transportation Authority, City of Bellingham, Washington State Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Transportation.
Whatcom Smart Trips is a collection of programs and tools that assist community members in using sustainable transportation modes. These include:
An online trip diary that helps community members identify opportunities for making trips by walking, bicycling, sharing rides and riding the bus
Smart Trips Incentives, which include discount cards, gift certificates, cash prizes and recognition to motivate community members to try new forms of transportation
Emergency rides home using limited, free taxi service so bus riders and other Smart Trips participants who experience an emergency or become ill at work can get home
Smart Trips employer partners to provide support to businesses and organizations that want to promote sustainable transportation to their employees
Community outreach includes partnering with community groups that wish to promote walking, bicycling, sharing rides and riding the bus
Individual and Group Instruction includes one-on-one education and small group classes for those wanting to make bus and bike trips
Youth education programs which provide classroom activities and camps for middle school students and bicycle skills courses for elementary school students
An ongoing public awareness campaign that includes advertising and public presentations to make the community aware of the benefits of participation in the Smart Trips program
For more information about Whatcom Smart Trips, please visit the program website (www.WhatcomSmartTrips.org) or contact Michelle Grandy at michelle@wcog.org or (360) 685-8388.
When adults walk, bicycle and ride the bus, we create a cleaner, healthier and more vibrant community. When we teach children to make Smart Trips, we extend those benefits into the future. We also give children opportunities for fun physical activity and important tools for confident, independent exploration.
Smart Trips partners with community groups to host fun and instructive bicycle skills courses. Children learn the importance of stopping and looking for traffic, the meaning of traffic signs and signals, and much more. Smart Trips provides instructors, course equipment, loaned bikes and helmets. For more information, contact Michelle Grandy at michelle@wcog.org or (360) 685-8388 to inquire about scheduled courses.
In middle schools, Smart Trips works with seventh grade students to educate and encourage them to ride the Whatcom Transportation Authority bus system. The program consists of classroom presentations and on-bus instruction from a WTA driver. The classroom sessions are engaging, interactive and fun. Students learn:
How to plan WTA bus trips
How to put a bike on the bus
Specific routes to get to places they’d like to go
Rules and expectations while riding the bus
In the summer, Smart Trips offers a week-long adventure camp. 12 to 14 year-olds learn to travel safely and independently in Bellingham, walking, bicycling and riding the bus. Includes games, field trips and activities to teach map-reading, walking and bicycle skills, and bus route planning. Camp culminates in a scavenger hunt by bus all around town. Three week long sessions are offered through Bellingham Parks and Recreation. For more information, contact Libby Chenault at libby@wcog.org or (360)685-8386.
Smart Trips has many ways of introducing people of all ages to WTA bus service.
In the spring, summer and fall, Smart Trips staffers lead free guided bus trips, featuring interesting destinations and tasty lunch stops. Our bus trips are advertised at senior centers and residences, but all ages are welcome to participate. The goal is to introduce participants to individual WTA bus routes and explain how those routes connect to the rest of the system.
Want to plan a bus trip for your own group? Smart Trips can create custom guided bus trips for small groups. Contact us or call 756-TRIP for more information or to inquire about our next scheduled trip.
Would you like one-on-one instruction for a specific trip? Contact us or call 756-TRIP to request a bus buddy trip. A Smart Trips instructor will meet you at a time and place that works for you and ride a WTA bus to a destination of your choosing. We’ll explain the schedule for that route and how it connects to the rest of the system. Bring a bicycle and we’ll show you how to load it onto the rack at the front of the bus.
Smart Trips instructors give engaging presentations with clear and specific examples of how to ride the bus. We encourage safe and independent travel from 12 year olds all the way to Gold Card holders (75+). We welcome invitations to speak to groups large and small. Contact us or call 756-TRIP to invite us to speak to your group.
Bike classes are available, free of charge to individuals, families, and small groups. Classes include Learn to Ride, Confident City Cycling, Getting the Most out of your E-bike, Basic Bike Maintenance, and more. For a full list of details, visit the Smart Trips Bike Class page. Contact us or call 756-TRIP to invite us to speak to your group.
Smart Trips is available for presentations to any type of group interested in learning more about biking for transportation. Presentations include details about how to dress for different types of weather, helpful accessories (lights, bags, etc.), maintenance tips, choosing fun and comfortable routes, and the rules of the road. These presentations are perfect for businesses who encourage biking to work, neighborhood associations, school classes, special events, and more. Contact us or call 756-TRIP to invite us to speak to your group.
In 1991, the Washington State Legislature passed the CTR Law (RCW 70A.15.4000-4110 and Chapter 468-63 WAC) to address air pollution, petroleum-fuel consumption, and traffic congestion. The CTR Program began as a response to the Exxon Valdez grounding and concerns of federal mandates through the federal Clean Air Act. The program was incorporated into the Washington Clean Air Act.
The CTR Law mandates four major actions to accomplish the program’s purposes:
Jurisdictions in affected areas must develop and implement a CTR ordinance and a CTR plan and engage major employers to provide CTR programs.
WSDOT must create and implement a statewide CTR plan.
Regional planning organizations must create and implement a CTR plan.
The state must provide support and leadership.
The CTR Program is codified in the Washington Clean Air Act, RCW Chapter 70A.15. Rules for the program are codified in WAC 468-63. In 2006, the Legislature amended the CTR law to make the program more efficient, effective, and responsive to the local context.
In Whatcom County, Whatcom Council of Governments is the regional planning organization responsible for creating and implementing our region’s plan.
The CTR Plan includes a commute trip reduction performance target and strategies for achieving that target. The Smart Trips program is the identified strategy for reducing air pollution, petroleum-fuel consumption, and traffic congestion in our region. Affected areas include the City of Bellingham and unincorporated Whatcom County.
Download or view the 2025-2029 Regional Commute Trip Reduction Plan