Get ready, Kamloops, and get registered!  The Great Green Transportation Tune-Up starts next week!

What is the Tune-Up, you’re wondering?  “I’m glad you asked!”  laughs Gisela Ruckert, a member of Kamloops 350, the event organizers.  “It’s a week of fun activities around the theme of sustainable transportation, and there’s truly something for everyone.”  The website with all the details is www.kamloops350.com .

“From September 26^th to October 1^st, we’ll be taking a playful approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in our city,” says Ruckert.  “By having great prizes and fun activities like treasure hunts, we are going to make people more familiar with their transportation choices.  While they’re having fun, they’ll realize that it’s actually quite easy to have a positive impact  on the environment.”

The Transit Treasure Hunt will be one of the highlights of the week’s activities.  Residents can register online now, and get a package of instructions that will have them traversing the city by bus, picking up clues as they go.  By combining the clues, they’ll be able to unscramble the final answer, which is again entered online.  “We want to get people to try out the bus, and by registering for the Treasure Hunt, they’ll be able to do it for free, and maybe win some prizes too!” said Ruckert.

Starting now, residents will also be eligible for prizes by registering for the Green Your Transportation Pledge.   “For some people, it might provide an incentive to try carpooling for a few days during Tune-Up week.  For others, it might be just the little push they need to get up a little bit earlier and walk to work.  Even by pledging to bike to the gym a couple of times, you become eligible for some really fantastic prizes like vehicle tune-ups or gift certificates from local merchants.”

Because most residents of Kamloops drive a car, the week will feature some events aimed specifically at motorists.  Tire pressure checking blitzes will take place at parking lots around the city, educating drivers about the many ways they can increase their vehicles’ efficiency (and reduce noxious emissions) through proper maintenance.  Cool Wheels, a car show highlighting electric and hybrid vehicles and bicycles, will take place during a street closure beside the Farmer’s Market on October 1^st.

For full details on the events planned and to register, go to www.kamloops350.com.

Partners in The Great Green Transportation Tune-Up include the City of Kamloops, the BC Sustainable Energy Association, West-Can Auto Parts, the Kamloops & District Labour Council, and several departments at Thompson Rivers University.  For a full list of sponsors, please see our website at www.kamloops350.com.