Here’s another post from Washtenaw County employee Stacy Ebron about the Commuter Challenge:

Thank goodness for the Commuter Challenge. I started biking to work last summer and continued through the fall.  I’ll admit the winter months were challenging and I finally decided in early December that winter biking in Michigan was too much for me.

The Commuter Challenge gave me the motivation I needed to dust off my bike again and resume biking to work.  On days when the weather is not cooperative, I decided to catch the bus.

This month, I even learned how to put my bike on the bus for days when biking to work was not practical/convenient, but biking from work was.  What I learned from this experience is that taking the bus is more convenient than I thought.  Even on days when I have to travel from work to visit a client site, I have found that for some locations, I can catch the bus with my bike and then bike home the client site.

I still wish the bus came more frequently, but I realized that the bus ride really only adds about 10 minutes to my regular commute to work.  The savings on gas, the benefit to my personal health and to the health of the environment are definitely worth the 10 extra minutes.

Thanks for the challenge I needed to discover that there are even more alternatives to driving to work than I had considered.

All I can say is . . . wow.

We just meet the Commuter Challenge goal of logging 200,000 sustainable miles for May.

Driving 200,000 miles is the equivalent to burning 317 barrels of oil!

That’s enough energy to power 12 homes for an entire year!

Again, wow.

FYI, I got this info through this Environmental Impact Calculator

I am so excited!  I just checked the Commuter Challenge homepage and saw that we are 99.2% to our goal of 200,000 sustainable miles for the month of May!  And we still have 3 days to go!

Last year, we logged 116,277 miles, so this is even better!

I chose the number 200,000 because it is approximately the number of people who fit in the big house plus the population or Ann Arbor.

But did you also know that 200,000 miles is more than twice the total square miles of Michigan?  And greater than the total square miles for the state of California?  That’s amazing!

So everyone, keep up the good work and keep logging your commutes.

This Citizen Post comes from Stacy Ebron.  Stacy works for Washtenaw County, as the Homeless Management Information Systems Coordinator.

How biking to work can help you lose weight and get your husband to do the dishes

Last year my husband encouraged me to start biking.  He had been biking for about a year and really wanted it to be an activity that we could do together.  I agreed to go bike shopping with him.  After the first trip, he came home and did the dishes.  After the second trip to look at bikes, he folded clothes.  I soon thought I was on to something.  On the third trip I found a comfort bike that I loved and decided not to hold out for the chance to see him mop.

My adventure in biking started slowly.  At first, I started with a trip to the mall and back which was about a mile.  Gradually, I worked my way up about a mile each week and then set a goal to bike to work.  After a few weekends practicing the commute in partial increments, I finally believed that I could make it there and back (8-10 miles roundtrip depending on the route).  I felt such a sense of accomplishment that I began biking to work 2-3 days a week.  After 4 months, I lost 30 pounds, gained some new leg muscles, and a great sense of pride in myself for achieving a healthier lifestyle, and contributing to the environment.   This change led to more quality time for my husband and I and motivated him to bike to work more frequently and to continue through the winter months (I’m still working on this).  I encourage people to find a bike that is comfortable for them and then set small goals to work up to fabulous results.  I had forgotten how much fun I had as a child riding my back, but it all came back to me.  Enjoy the ride!

–Stacy

Some of you might be wondering which employees have logged the most sustainable commutes on the Commuter Challenge.  Here’s a look at the ten people who have logged the most commutes so far:

Arthur Greenspoon, Mathematical Reviews: 27 points
Vineet Yadav, EWRE PUORG: 27 points
Carson Bishop, Michigan Theater: 26 points
Erika Roesler, University of Michigan - CoE - AOSS: 25 points
Mark Hubbard, University of Michigan Nursing: 25 points
Brian Hunter, Michigan Theater: 24 points
Eric Harding, University of Michigan - CoE - AOSS: 24 points
Abhishek Chatterjee, EWRE PUORG: 24 points
Nancy Stone, City of Ann Arbor: 24 points
Alex Pineau, People’s Food Cooperative: 24 points

It’s so great to see such a diversity of people and organizations in the top ten!

During the Commuter Challenge this year, getDowntown will select one special person to win the Super Commuter Award.

The award is a bunch of goodies from downtown businesses as well as recognition as the most super commuter out there!  Please note: you or the person you nominate must be competing in the Commuter Challenge in order to be eligible for this prize.

To see who’s been nominated and to nominate your co-worker go here: Super Commuter Nominations

Here’s a Curb Your Car Month Post from Ann Arbor Googler Vicki Chan.

Here’s how Vicki describes herself:

As an AdWords associate for Google, I assist AdWords advertisers with their accounts and online marketing strategies. I graduated from Yale University with a degree in Sociology. I hail from Oakland, California and love to babysit, play Ultimate Frisbee and make bad jokes. (Mostly puns.)

Here’s Vicki’s Post:

Hybrid is the word of the day

This summer, yours truly will be playing with a club ultimate Frisbee team in Ann Arbor called Hybrid. To commute to those practices, I just bought a sweet Trek Multirack Women’s Hybrid bike in April. It’s no surprise that I’m also considering purchasing a Hybrid vehicle somewhere down the line. When I decide to have a kid, it’ll only be right to name her Hybridia, or Hybrid if he’s a boy.

I recently moved to Ann Arbor to start work with the Google office, and chose a friendly, family neighborhood apartment about 2 miles away from the office. During the winter and snow, I rode the Ann Arbor city bus downtown (go 9 and 9U!). Dragging myself out of bed in those below freezing temperatures was only made tolerable because of the bus drivers Ted and Dorien I met along the way. I just thought about how early they had to get up, and suddenly it didn’t seem so bad for me. Riding the bus with my fellow commuters in silent solidarity against the wind and sleet was actually a very unifying experience, but for the sake of sunshine, let’s fast forward to Spring and allow me to tell you why my commute is a hybrid commute, and not just a slushy snowy bus ride.

Last month at the start of Spring, I was ecstatic to finally wear short sleeves again and don my Wonderwoman helmet to break in my new bike. Riding west on Washington St. and seeing kids play roller hockey on the street and dogs chase obese squirrels up trees is downright blissful. After being indoors in an office building for most of the day, breathing fresh air and seeing playful creatures (both kids and squirrels alike) keeps me sane and grounded. I’m an outdoors person, and I’ve been known to chase a squirrel or two. Having that time before and after work to see and think about all things nature is really a necessary part of my day.

Commuting to work is all about choices, and I can’t ride to work every single day, but I can choose to diversify my sustainable commute options by using a hybrid strategy of self-powered commute options: riding my bike, using the bus system, and occasionally the nice long walk. An added incentive that pushes me to use sustainable commutes on rainy days is that Google supports the Self-Powered Commute program, which earns my nonprofit of choice $5 in donation for each day I walk, bike, or bus to work.

The short story is that I’m glad it’s Spring and I’m glad I get to bike again. I’m also glad for fat, but speedy squirrels, otherwise that Spring scene wouldn’t be quite as pleasant. Perhaps I can fit the chunky monkey squirrels with mini Hybrid bikes, so they can get some hybrid variety in their happy little lives too.

See you on those biking lanes!

Vicki

On Sunday there was an editorial in the Ann Arbor News that discussed the challenges faced by our region (and nation) as we try encourage people to drive less and bike and bus more.

The editorial describes many of the issues I face over here at the getDowntown program.  We need individuals to look at changing their habits so that demand for sustainable transportation increases.  We need regional policies and solutions that demonstrate a commitment to public transit and non-motorized transportation.

As the organizer of Curb Your Car Month, I can tell you that I am seeing both happening right now.  People are changing their habits.  $4.00 gas is a strong motivator.  An article in the New York Times illustrates that people are driving less and using public transportation more as a result of high gas prices.

And it is happening here as well.  Even before Curb Your Car Month the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority had record ridership numbers.  Even before Curb Your Car Month, more people have purchased go!passes from getDowntown than they did in the last several years.

And now as Curb Your Car Month comes to a close, I can tell you that many people have tried something new, be it biking, busing or carpooling and are seeing the benefits.  And these benefits, I believe, will extend far beyond this month.

I have a lot more to say on this topic, but limited time.  Hopefully, I can write more later, and you can, too.  I also wrote about this topic for Concentrate.  You can check out what I said here.

However, I would like to respond to the end the the News editorial, which states:

“Do we need demand before investment? Or do we build more rail systems and bus services and bike lanes, believing that people will use them if available?”

We need both.  And both are happening.  I fully believe that infrastructure sends a clear message to people saying “this is important and it matters to us.”  When there are bike lanes in the street, that let’s people know that bicyclists belong in the street.  When we create new Commuter Bus services, that means we want people to consider using other forms of transportation instead of driving their cars.

And frankly, I think it is unfair to say that because not that many people are using the Ann Arbor Chelsea Commuter Bus now it is a failure.  Initially the Link didn’t have great ridership numbers, and now it is doing very well.

Another piece of the puzzle for many people is assistance using public transportation.  It’s not always easy to figure out which bus route or bike route to take.  I hope that getDowntown can help employees when they do want to change their behavior.  All they have to do is email me!

Finally, I am extremely optimistic about the future of public transportation in this region.  I see many political, community, and business leaders pushing for rail systems and better non-motorized transportation.   I think we are well positioned to move forward in our region.  Let’s keep it moving!

That’s what I have to say on this topic.  I’d love to hear what you have to say.  Please comment or write a Letter to the Editor by emailing letters@annarbornews.com.

I just got the following info from the AATA.  Overall, I think they did a good job listening to citizens and didn’t make some changes that would have been hard for many people.

They are not going to eliminate any service on the 13.

Another great change is that the AATA is going to add service on the #8 Pauline bus, which will mean it will run every 15 minutes during morning and afternoon peak hours.

In terms of some negatives, they are going to stop running the 12UL, but since the #8 Pauline bus will be running down Liberty when it goes downtown, this should be ok for some.

Also, they are going to be having service to the Miller Rd. Park and Ride Lot every 20 minutes.

For the most part, I think the changes are ok.  I work with the AATA on a regular basis and hope they continue to find ways to increase service.  With gas at $4.00 a gallon, it is clear we need more service.

So here’s the stuff about the service changes:

AATA Board approves revised service changes

Following extensive public input on proposed service changes, the Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) Board of Directors carefully considered the public’s concerns and approved a revised list of changes at its May 21 meeting.

The service changes will take effect on Sunday, August 24, 2008.

Overall, the changes are designed to add service during morning and afternoon peak hours, and improve on-time performance on routes where this has been a problem, including the 4, 1U and 12UM routes. The changes will improve service to the Miller Road Park & Ride lot and add service to the new Skyline High School.

Service reductions are planned in lower productivity service during midday, evening, and weekend hours on Routes 7, 12UL, 14 and 16.

Of the original 28 proposed changes, 17 were adopted as proposed, four were adopted with modifications and seven were not adopted, as a result of the public input.

Here is a list of the Changes (going to effect on Sunday, August 24, 2008)

Route 1U - Pontiac-University

• Timing will be adjusted on this route to improve on-time performance.

Route 4 – Washtenaw

• Multiple changes are designed to improve the reliability and frequency of the route in Ann Arbor without adding to rider’s travel time or adding a large number of additional service hours. Details of the changes will be included on the AATA web site when the maps and schedules are produced and posted.

Route 7 - South Main-East

• The 10:18 p.m. trip leaving the Blake Transit Center will end at Eisenhower and South Industrial.
• The loop now serving Kerrytown will be eliminated.
• A trip from the Blake Transit Center to the Pioneer High Park & Ride Lot will be added at 10:48 p.m.

Route 8 - Pauline

• Frequency of weekday service during morning and afternoon peak hours will be increased to every 15 minutes.
• The additional service will use Liberty Street to travel inbound to the Blake Transit Center (BTC). Service on Route 8 will be through-routed with the #2 Plymouth route. That is, a bus arriving at the BTC on Route 8 will depart as a #2 bus to enable riders to travel to and from the University of Michigan (U-M) campus and medical center without changing buses.

Route 9U - Jackson-University

• The route will be moved away from Maple Village to the Miller Road Park & Ride Lot. Service will be provided on North Maple Road between Dexter Road and Miller Road. No service will be provided on Jackson Road.

Route 12UL - Liberty-University

• The route will be eliminated.

Route 12UM - Miller-University

• Peak Hour Service: Service to and from the Miller Road Park & Ride Lot will be increased to every 20 minutes. Service to the new Skyline High School will be added.
• Midday Service: Service will operate every 30 minutes between the Miller Road Park & Ride Lot/Skyline High School and the Blake Transit Center, resulting in service every 15 minutes on Miller Road.

Route 14 - Geddes-East Stadium

• Peak Hour Service: During peak hour service, the route will be shortened to operate between Pioneer High School and U-M Medical Center (Mott) and time will be added to improve on-time performance.
• The #14 and #9U route service will be through-routed at Mott. That is, a #14 bus that arrives at Mott will depart as a #9U bus to enable #14 riders to travel to and from the U-M campus and downtown without changing buses.
• Midday Service: Midday service will be eliminated.

Route 16 - Ann Arbor-Saline Road

• Service will be eliminated on two loops along the route: 1) William, Thompson and Hill streets and 2) OakValley east of Lohr, Ellsworth and Lohr Road south of Oak Valley. A third loop on Oakbrook, Main and Eisenhower streets will be shortened to use Northbrook rather than Main.

Once revised, maps and schedules showing the changes will be posted on the AATA web site, www.TheRide.org.

Route and schedule questions may be directed to AATA at 734.996.0400.