About one hundred City of Aspen employees are testing out a new app designed to get people out of their cars and walking, biking or busing around town.
The app is part of the larger SHIFTprogram to reduce traffic and incentivize other modes of getting around. The app calculates points for participants based on how they commute, using a smart phone’s location services and an algorithm.
Mayor Steve Skadron says, the app is really smart.
"The phone, you just put it in your pocket and it knows which transportation you’re taking," he said.
The app can detect a bus’ vibrations, or the speed of a bicycle. It awards points for walking, biking and taking public transportation.
Participants can redeem points at businesses in town. Skadron says he cashed in his points at the Local’s Corner for a cliff bar and diet coke.
He hopes that it’s a way to reward sustainable commuting.
"We just wanted to offer something fun to see if incentives could influence mobility choices," said Skadron.
Some kinks are being worked out as city employees test the app. Programmers discovered they’ll have to add something called a geo-fence, so that participants won’t get rewards for hiking up Aspen Mountain.
The city will continue to test the app through the winter - and aim to have the app ready by June when SHIFT launches.