Home > Living > Getting around > BIG Green Commuter Challenge > Recording the miles you save

Recording the miles you save

Record all miles that you save during the week and then record them on the website (this will not be live until May 2008). 

Those who do not have access to the website should complete the form on the leaflet and return to their woworkplace Commuter Challenge Coordinator or to Amanda Morris at Portsmouth City Council.

For each day that you take part you will get an extra entry into the Prize Draw to win one of many fabulous prizes including bus season tickets and an iPOD Nano.

Journeys to and from work
All miles for the journey to and from work should be recorded.  If the trip involves using different types of transport note these should be added in the appropriate box eg cycle and public transport.  If the person is working from home the miles for the usual return journey to work should be noted.

Journeys during work
You can also record miles saved during the working day. If you travel to a meeting by an alternative method or use video conferencing you can record the return mileage in the appropriate box.

Taking the stairs instead of the lift
In previous years people were encouraged to take the stairs in order to reduce the amount of energy used by taking the lift as well as encouraging an increase in activity.   This is still happening but all miles saved in this way will be noted to the ‘Walk’ box on the form.

To convert flights of stairs into miles saved either:-

 

• count the flights of stairs

we assume that each flight = 0.1 miles

so 10 flights of stairs = 1 mile

or

• use a pedometer to help count the steps and then translate into miles
  for the purposes of the Challenge 2000 steps = 1 mile

So 1000 steps equals half a mile

Car sharing
If you car share with one other person then split the miles between you, if you carshare with two others split the miles three ways. So if your return journey was 10 miles and you split this with one other person you would record 5 miles each. 

Using the pedometer
Use the pedometer to help count the steps and then translate into miles.
For the purposes of the Challenge 2000 steps = 1 mile. So 1000 steps equals half a mile.

Working out mileages
If you don’t know the distance of your journey you could use one of the many available routefinders on the internet.

Travel between Gosport and Portsmouth 

We know that in previous years people who usually drive all the way round from Gosport were unable to show how many miles they actually saved when not driving. In 2007 anyone who replaces a car journey between Gosport and Portsmouth with the bus, cycle or walk and ferry option can note the miles they saved by these means and then make up the difference in the ‘other’ box on the form.

If the usual journey is 34 miles and you travel 6 miles by cycle and 1 by ferry (return journey) there is then a difference of 27 miles which would have been travelled if the person had driven. The difference of 27 miles can be added in the other column.

Please note that this would also apply to trips between Hayling Island and Portsmouth using the Hayling Ferry.

---