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2009 Bike Week & Commuter Challenge

 

May is National Bike Month and here in Massachusetts we’re doing our part to celebrate this great event with Bay State Bike Week and the MassCommuter Challenge, May 11-15, 2009.

The MassCommuter Challenge is a friendly competition amongst Massachusetts businesses and institutions.   Support your workplace or institutional team by pledging to bike for all or part of your regular functional trips, such as commuting to work or school or running nearby errands.  If work/school seems a little farther than you’re willing to pedal, those trips to your local mass transit station or stop count too!!    

Hop to it!  It’s time to pull that trusty steed out of the garage and begin incorporating a fun, health, non-polluting and sustainable commute into your routine!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MASSCOMMUTER CHALLENGE

Registration for the MassCommuter Challenge is free and open to all individuals who work or attend school in Massachusetts.   To participate, simply join your employer’s or school’s team by selecting their name from the Employer/ Institution drop down menu. 

If your employer or school is not on the list, you can download the Employer/ Institution Registration Form and sign them up!  And, if your employer or institution is unable to participate you can still take part by registering as an individual –just make sure to tell us who you work for-.

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Companies compete against businesses and institutions of similar size.   Awards are granted based on total number of participants, participation rate as a percentage of total population and collective distances bicycled during the Challenge.   The categories are below.

Teams earn “Bicycle-Friendly Bonus Points” by completing the Employer/ Institution Registration Form to list the bike-friendly amenities available at their worksite or institution.   Bonus points will be added to your team’s final score.  

All registrants in the MassCommuter Challenge will be entered in a raffle for commuter-oriented prizes to be awarded at the MassCommtuer Challenge Bike Bash at Flattop Johnny's on May 20, 2009.

Business & Institutional Categories # OF EMPLOYEES or STUDENT/FACULTY & STAFF	2008 Winners
1-24 25-99 100-499 500-1,499 1,500-2,999 3,000-4,999 5,000 + Academic Small 0-999 Academic Medium 1,000-4,999 Academic Large 5,000 +	Ciclismo Classico Arlington Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Cambridge Museum of Science Boston/Cambridge Mass. Dept. of Environmental Protection Boston Lincoln Laboratory Lexington Dana Farber Cancer Institute Boston Massachusessts General Hospital Boston Boston University Medical Center Boston NEW CATEGORY FOR 2009!!! Harvard University Cambridge

 

WHY SHOULD A BUSINESS OR INSTITUTION PARTICIPATE?

• Employee Health: Bicycling is great exercise, PERIOD!   Employees who incorporate exercise into their work day routines are more likely to be in over all good health, have less sick leave-time and report fewer workman’s compensation claims.  Lower overall healthcare-costs translates into employer cost savings.  

• Corporate Philanthropy:  Supporting bicycle commuting promotes your company’s public image as a community-oriented and environmentally responsible employer.  Your support says to the public that your company is concerned about air pollution, traffic congestion, energy use, public health and employee well-being.

• Cost-Efficiencies:  On average, the amount of space needed to accommodate one car in a parking facility is equal to the amount of space needed to accommodate twelve bicycles. Furthermore, the cost associated with one car parking space is at least ten times the cost associated with bicycle parking infrastructure.

• Zero Pollution:   The bicycle is virtually a zero-emissions form of transportation.  Since short car-trips (0-5 miles) generate a significant amount of pollution, employers and institutions can reduce their workplace’s impact on regional air quality by encouraging commuters to incorporate bicycling into trips to work, school, errands or recreational opportunities. 

• Employee Morale:  Employees who commute by bike arrive at work more alert and relaxed.  In addition, bicycle commuters recognize and appreciate the support they receive from their employer for their transportation mode.