Whether it's for public policy or parenting, it's the classic tactical dilemma: do you change behavior with the figurative carrot or stick?

A number of large cities including London, Florence, and Stockholm have used financial pain to fight congestion. Known as "congestion pricing," drivers pay a fee when entering a designated district with congestion problems. In London, congestion dropped by 30% and traffic volumes dropped by 16% in the program's first year. (Transport London reports that congestion has returned due to a number of public works projects).

Even though we all want to reduce traffic congestion, nobody likes to pay more for something, and that makes congestion pricing difficult to implement.

We wrote before about a program that reduced speeding by paying participants to drive the speed limit. Ars Technica posed a similar question: could you cut congestion by paying people not to drive during rush hour?

Stanford University is experimenting with this premise to address a notoriously congested commute onto campus.  The program, called CAPRI, enters drivers in a online social game where they could win up to $50 for driving to campus outside of peak (i.e., congested) periods.

A second phase of the project also rewards drivers to park in less congested parking lots to reduce pollution and congestion from drivers circling for a parking space.

The results are not yet in, but on the success of a similar program in Bangalore, India the US Department of Transportation has awarded Stanford $3 million for further study.

If you carpool, ride transit, bike or walk to work already: thank you! Your actions have helped keep Portland's air clean and its roads less congested. 

Women on Bikes Ride

Ride Local, Shop Local

Thursday, August 23rd

6:00 p.m. (1.5 hour ride)

Meet at Clinton Park, SE 57th and Woodward

If you're looking to shop by bike and are looking for fun ride to try it out, this Thursday is for you. Women on Bikes, a serious of fabulous clinics and fun rides, will be heading to Buckman Farmers' Market to peruse and consume the summer's bounty.

Women on Bikes offers a chance to connect with other women on beginners' 8-12 mile bike rides.  Find out about new routes, exchange stories and tips, and share a few laughs while pedaling around Portland.  Plus this year offers a chance to cruise around the Sunday Parkways routes with a fun group of women.

The Women on Bikes schedule of rides and clinics continues through September.

For more information, contact Janis McDonald at 503-823-5358 or click here to email her.

When the tomatoes in your garden are finally ripening, you know that September is near. And as September approaches, Portland and the rest of the state gears up for the Bike Commute Challenge.

Organized by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the BCC is a free event for employers in Oregon and SW Washington to challenge their employees and business peers to bike to work. In 2011, over 1400 workplaces and 12,063 employees participated in the month-long event.

If some of your co-workers arrive at work wearing a bike helmet, it's likely that your employer is already registered. If not, all you need is someone to register the team and become a team captain. 

To increase the fun and competitive spirit, the BTA last year added a League function. Leagues are usually organized around employment sectors (design/architectural, outdoor industry) or regions (Gorge, Eugene/Springfield, etc.).

An employer can join as many leagues of the 74 leagues as they wish - and can create more.

The BTA is offering a limited number of workplace bike commute workshops. Contact Stephanie Noll for more information. 

On Friday 8/31 from 3 - 6pm and Saturday 9/1 from 9am - 2 pm, pro bike mechanics will be stationed at three places along the Going Street neighborhood greenway to help get your bike rolling - for FREE!  Three locations!

• N Williams and N Going
• NE 33rd and NE Going
• NE Cully and NE Alberta

All you need to do is bring out your bike, enjoy a complimentary beverage and treat, and hang out for a few minutes while our mechanics show your bike a little love.  Your flat tires, dusty chains, and squeaky brakes will be a thing of the past!

Plus we'll have bike maps, cool seat covers to keep your saddle dry in the rain, and other resources to help you explore Going Street and all of the Portland Bureau of Transportation's neighborhood greenways.