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What if your everyday commute could earn you more than just a trip to work or school? With the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority’s SmartCommute, your daily commute becomes a chance to save money, win prizes, cut CO₂ emissions, and join a movement toward a smarter, healthier community. Best of all? It’s free for both individuals and organizations across Santa Clara County.
Commute Smarter and Get Rewarded.
SmartCommute is VTA’s free rewards platform that turns sustainable travel, such as biking, walking, transit, carpooling, or teleworking, into real-world benefits. Sign up online, connect your Commute Tracker app or Strava account, and your trips are automatically logged. No fuss, no extra effort, you just travel better, and VTA rewards you for it.
Why the SmartCommute Approach Works
SmartCommute isn’t just about temporary rewards; it’s strategically designed to foster long-lasting commuting habits. Research confirms incentives effectively encourage behavior change, and the more appealing the incentive, the stronger the results. But incentives must also support long-term habit formation to be truly effective.
SmartCommute addresses this effectively by offering ongoing opportunities for commuters to earn rewards, rather than one-time offers. For example, the Summer Challenge provides repeated weekly incentives, motivating commuters to consistently use sustainable travel options long enough for these behaviors to become habits. Studies show it typically takes between 21 and 66 days for new habits to fully form, so continuous and repeated rewards through SmartCommute’s challenges help bridge that gap.
Further, SmartCommute doesn’t just rely on short-term incentives. It provides ongoing rewards and frequent challenges year-round, encouraging continued participation, keeping commuters engaged, and reinforcing sustainable commuting behaviors long after initial participation.
Organizations in Santa Clara can join for FREE.
Organizations across Santa Clara County can leverage SmartCommute free of charge through VTA. Local businesses, educational institutions, and nonprofits can easily integrate their custom-branded commute programs, set personalized challenges, and reward employees directly. These tools help employers significantly reduce onsite parking demand, achieve sustainability goals, boost employee satisfaction, and foster healthier commuting habits across their organizations.
Additionally, SmartCommute participants are eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home program, which provides up to six emergency rides per year. This safety net feature ensures that commuting sustainably is worry-free, encouraging more individuals to regularly choose a sustainable mode of transit without concern about unexpected changes to their daily schedules.
How to Get Started Today
Getting started is easy:
Visit vta.org/smartcommute
Register for free if you are an individual. For organizations interested in participating in the SmartCommute program, please get in touch with [email protected] so we can assist you in setting up your network.
Choose your commute tracking method (Commute Tracker app or Strava)
Start logging your trips and immediately begin earning rewards
Enjoy peace of mind with the Guaranteed Ride Home program
A Simple Change, Big Rewards
Commuting smarter doesn’t require drastic lifestyle changes. Just a few sustainable commutes each week can unlock significant financial, environmental, and personal benefits.
Join the thousands of Santa Clara County commuters who are already making their trips more rewarding through SmartCommute. Together, we’re creating healthier habits, cleaner air, and a stronger, greener community.
Make your commute count—visit www.vta.org/smart to sign up today!