Environment Hamilton is calling its challenge for city councillors to ride the bus a success, even though only four of council's 16 members actually did it.

The organization launched the campaign Throw Council on the Bus in January. People pledged nearly $2,500 for some councillors to ride transit for five days, which organizers say will help them make more informed transit decisions. The campaign required councillors to tweet their experiences using the hashtag #BusaMove.

But only four councillors — Aidan Johnson from Ward 1, Jason Farr from Ward 2, Matthew Green from Ward 3 and Arlene VanderBeek from Ward 13 in Dundas — actually rode HSR for five days, and two of them do it on a regular basis anyway.

The non-participation, in a strange way, helped with the public dialogue. - Lynda Lukasik, Environment Hamilton

In the end, the campaign raised $1,388.75 of a possible $8,599, with the money donated to local organizations for affordable transit passes.

Lynda Lukasik, executive director of Environment Hamilton, said it was still worthwhile.

"Obviously we would have hoped that more of them would have participated in the campaign," she said.

But "even the non-participation, in a strange way, helped with the public dialogue."

Couns. Terry Whitehead and Chad Collins got the most pledges — $2,430.19 each — but neither participated. Both cited family obligations.

It was VanderBeek's surprise participation — one day, she tweeted a series of five photos of herself on the bus — that really raised money, Lukasik said.

"Thanks in large part to Coun. VanderBeek, we've ended up with almost $1,400," she said.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger started the challenge, but only rode the bus three times before the campaign ended on March 28.

The challenge came on the heels of some heated transit decisions at city hall. In January, council narrowly voted to dismantle the city's only transit lane — a two-kilometre stretch along King Street through Hamilton's downtown. The decision also inspired local transit users to form a union.

Light rail transit (LRT) is also a transit topic that will make headlines this year, as the city waits to hear if the province will pay for $1 billion in capital costs for a 13-kilometre line from McMaster University to Eastgate Square. The bus lane was seen as a preliminary step to LRT.

Here's what was pledged for each councillor:

Aidan Johnson — $122.19 (Johnson regularly rides HSR).

Jason Farr — $102.19.

Matthew Green — $222.19 (Green regularly rides HSR).

Arlene VanderBeek — $942.19.

The bus tickets will be donated to Pathways to Education, SACHA Sexual Assault Centre, Empowerment Squared and the Social Planning and Research Council.

<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BusAMove?src=hash">#BusAMove</a> Challenge complete <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hamont?src=hash">#hamont</a> <a href="http://t.co/n6NaAjgzJ2">pic.twitter.com/n6NaAjgzJ2</a> —@arlenevandrbeek

samantha.craggs@cbc.ca | @SamCraggsCBC