News & Events

2026 Commuter Challenge

The Go Coast Commuter Challenge is an annual event that encourages Wilmington urban area residents to try using alternative transportation! Replace a drive-alone trip during the challenge with carpooling, bicycling, walking, public transportation, or teleworking to get entered into prize drawings.


For Teams:

Teams consist of participants who indicate a common employer on the trip tracking form.

How to form a team:

  1. Identify a best contact at your employer. This would be someone who could help us coordinate claiming the organizational prize if your team wins. (We can also send them your team’s data if your employer would like to provide additional incentives or recognition to star commuters.)
    **There are no costs or obligations on your employer’s part for a team to participate, just making sure contact information is provided to Go Coast Commuter Challenge staff.
  2. Fill out the team registration form, to make sure we have that contact info. Teams who don’t fill out this form are not eligible to claim any prizes.
  3. Rally your coworkers and track your alternative transportation trips starting October 5! Everyone should indicate the same team when they track trips.

Team prizes

Team prize information coming soon!


For individuals

Participating in a team is encouraged, but not necessary!

All you need to do is track your commutes/trips and miles traveled by bicycling, walking, carpooling, or public transportation; or miles saved by teleworking. Use the form for any alternative transportation trip that replaces what would have otherwise been driving alone! Use the form for commutes/trips taken between October 5 and October 18, 2026.

This form will be open 10/5-10/20.

Prize categories

Individual participants, whether on a team or not, could win prizes in the Commuter Challenge! Categories are:

  • Most miles tracked: 1st place and 2nd place
  • Most trips tracked: 1st place and 2nd place
  • Anyone who logs at least one trip gets entered to win a prize!
  • Social media: 2 prizes randomly awarded to individuals who share the Challenge on social media (see FAQ below for guidelines)

Individual prizes

Prize information will be posted soon!


Challenge FAQ

Click each question below to expand to the answer.

The challenge is open to anyone age 16+ who lives or works within the Wilmington urban area, specifically within the planning area of the Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (WMPO). View the boundary map.

There are several ways to win prizes! There are prizes for individual commuters, and for teams as well.

Prize specifics coming soon! Are you a local business interested in donating a prize to support the challenge? Email gocoast@wilmingtonnc.gov.

The fine print: One individual prize per winner. If your team wins, you are still eligible for individual prizes as well. So commute your heart out! <3

You can track any alternative transportation trip that replaces a trip that would have otherwise been driving solo: by carpooling, bicycling, walking, using public transportation, or teleworking.

  • Carpool rules: Carpoolers can log the same trip if they drove together. Passengers must all be of driving age and the car must remain at its destination (for example, dropping a child off at school would not count as a carpool trip).
  • Telework rules: Those who already telework regularly may only count telework trips for days they would have otherwise driven to work alone, if outside of their regular telework schedule. Regularly scheduled telework days are not eligible.

The spirit of the challenge is to reward trips that replace drive-alone trips! Questions about what’s eligible? Email us at gocoast@wilmingtonnc.gov.

Teams consist of a group of coworkers from the same employer. Larger employers may choose to participate as teams by department, or by worksite if there are multiple offices/worksites within the WMPO boundary.

Let’s get your employer on board! Contact us if you need help: gocoast@wilmingtonnc.gov. We offer an employer marketing toolkit and everything.

  1. Step one is to identify a best contact at your employer. This would be someone who could help us coordinate claiming the organizational prize if your team wins. (We can also send them your team’s data if your employer would like to provide additional incentives or recognition to star commuters.)
    **There are no costs or obligations on your employer’s part for a team to participate, just making sure contact information is provided to Go Coast Commuter Challenge staff.
  2. Step two is to fill out the team registration form (Google Forms link here), to make sure we have that contact info. Teams who don’t fill out this form are not eligible to claim any prizes.
  3. Step three is to rally your coworkers and track your trips! Everyone should indicate the same team when they track trips.

Use our trip tracking form. Enter the required information and any optional info you would like.

If you’re tracking on a team, don’t forget to register your team first.

Yes! We welcome participants to share about the Commuter Challenge on social media! Two prizes will be awarded to randomly selected sharers. The rules:

  • Eligible platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn
  • Share one of our challenge posts, or make your own post showing off your alternative commute during the challenge.
  • Posts must be public. Stories are not eligible.
  • Tag us – @wilmingtonmpo and @gocoastnc on Facebook and Instagram, Wilmington Urban Area Metropolitan Planning Organization on LinkedIn
  • Use the hashtag #GoCoastCommutes
  • Posts must be made between September 28 and October 18, 2026, and stay publicly available through October 28.

Make sure your DMs are open so we can message you if you win! We really appreciate the signal boost and thank all who participate and share.


Marketing toolkit

Select the files below to help spread the word about the Commuter Challenge – get more participants on your team, rally your coworkers, and help explain the gist of the challenge!

For employers