The Outstanding Special Project Award is an annual award that recognizes great projects or activities that affect a downtown or neighborhood commercial district’s revitalization efforts. The Port Townsend Main Street Program has been named the 2025 Outstanding Special Project Award recipient for their Mobile Greeters Program initiative.

When Port Townsend’s Visitor Center and Chamber of Commerce closed abruptly, there was a major gap in the community’s tourism-focused economy. Always creative and solution-oriented, the Port Townsend Main Street Program pitched the Mobile Greeter Program to their local Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. In a time when people were seeking out information differently, the program was an idea that met the need for tourism information in a totally different way than the traditional model.

As part of the program, mobile greeters park their electric bike and begin engaging with folks wandering by, offering information about local businesses, tips about getting around, and even stories of Port Townsend’s unique history. The bike travels around to different locations each day, drawing people to different areas of the commercial district, and considers events where there might be more foot traffic so the greeters can meet the most people.

While working, mobile greeters are also collecting valuable data. Zip codes, overnight stays, activities, and more help inform business owners as well as marketing campaigns and tourism strategies. The success of the Mobile Greeter Program over its first two summers has been recognized by the local Lodging Tax Advisory Committee and by business owners, who drop off information for the bike volunteers to share out.

“Originally implemented to fill an urgent need, the Mobile Greeter Program is proving that, for Port Townsend, an emphasis on flexibility, human connection, and hospitality is an improvement upon the traditional visitor center model,” noted Washington Main Street Director Breanne Durham at the Excellence on Main ceremony. Durham personally presented the Outstanding Special Project Award to Natalie Maitland, Eryn Smith, and Kris Nelson of the Port Townsend Main Street Program.