FAQ Page
What is Go Smart NYC?
Go Smart NYC is a federally-funded program run by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) to provide information and support to New York City residents interested in walking, bicycling, carpooling, and taking transit. The goals of Go Smart NYC are to increase trips made by foot, bicycle, carpool, and transit; to support local businesses and communities; and to reduce congestion and air pollution on New York City streets.
Many communities in the U.S. have run programs similar to Go Smart NYC that have been successful in encouraging residents to make smart travel choices. NYCDOT applied for a grant to pilot this program in several NYC neighborhoods during 2015, 2016, and 2017. So far, the Go Smart has run in Middle Village, Maspeth, Ridgewood, and Glendale, Queens, and Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
For more questions about the Go Smart program, contact us at info@letsgosmart.nyc.
How is the program being funded?
What qualifies as a Go Smart trip?
Anytime you make a Go Smart trip for your daily activities (e.g., work, school, errands) by walking, bicycling, sharing a ride or taking transit instead of driving by yourself. Every Go Smart trip you log counts as a round-trip, from point A to point B and back again, when we calculate your travel stats.
Make your community a better place to live and shop by reducing congestion on neighborhood streets!
I requested monthly reminders or a new password, but I’m not seeing those emails. What should I do?
I had a Go Smart trips account a long time ago. Should I start another one?
I made some eligible Go Smart trips recently. Can I still enter them?
Can I count walking, running, or bicycling for leisure/fitness purposes as a Go Smart trip?
How does Go Smart NYC define a “carpool”?
What if I drive a hybrid vehicle?
Hybrid vehicles provide savings to drivers and contribute positively to the environment—but not as much as walking, bicycling, sharing rides and taking transit do. These last four options provide a wider range of individual and community benefits.
For the purposes of Go Smart NYC, hybrid vehicles are considered regular vehicles. If there is more than one licensed person in the vehicle for the trip, it counts as a carpool trip. Driving a hybrid vehicle alone is not an eligible Go Smart trip.
Why are motorcycle trips not included as Go Smart trips?
Motorcycles provide savings to riders and contribute positively to the environment by consuming less fossil fuel than other vehicles—but other community benefits are less certain. For example, current motorcycle engines pollute at a rate 90 times higher per mile than passenger cars or large sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
For the purposes of Go Smart NYC, motorcycles are considered regular vehicles. If there is more than one licensed person riding the motorcycle, then the trip counts as a carpool trip. Riding a motorcycle by oneself is not an eligible Go Smart trip.