This year, the getDowntown Program will be highlighting organizations who are participating in this year’s Commuter Challenge.  We have posted info about all of these organizations here.

We wanted to promote this organizations because their participation in the Commuter Challenge demonstrates their commitment to sustainability, health, and fun!

So here’s our first Organization Highlight: Angelini and Associates

Angelini and Associates has participated in the Commuter Challenge the last several years.  They are located in downtown Ann Arbor.

Here’s more information about this Commuter Challenge Participating Organization:

Angelini & Associates Architects was established in 1989 by Bradford and Theresa Angelini.

The firm has completed over 350 projects in the past eighteen years.

This body of work includes award-winning projects for residential and commercial clients, colleges and universities, and cultural and religious institutions.

In addition to new construction and renovation projects, Angelini & Associates has also completed master plans for college campuses and residence halls.

Along with winning awards for design and teamwork, Angelini & Associates has earned a well-deserved reputation for communicating well with clients and building professionals throughout the entire design and construction process.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard of the proposed Ann Arbor to Detroit Rail Line and the getmedowntown Party Bus.

But have you heard about what the Canton IKEA is doing?

They are offering a FREE shuttle bus from their store in Canton to downtown Detroit (Campus Martius to be exact).

On scheduled days, the shuttle will run every hour from 9am-10pm.

This is obviously a way to provide some traffic to the IKEA store.  But it’s also a way to get some more traffic to downtown Detroit, which is great.

Some of the events you can take the IKEA-Campus Martius Shuttle to include the NCAA Final Four, the Detroit International Jazz Fest, the Detroit Free Press Marathon and more.

Click here for all the details.

I didn’t plan it this way, but it seems we have a Commuter Challenge success story for every type of transportation.

This success story comes from Janet Netz, a partner and principal at ApplEcon in downtown Ann Arbor, and it’s about walking to work.  One of the best things about this story is that is really does show how a walkable downtown encourages people to give up their parking passes:

I have continued walking to work 3-4 times per week (I typically work 4 days/week).  Partly it was the motivation from last year’s “getDowntown” challenge, partly when we moved our office a couple of blocks closer to home I decided not to get a parking pass.  Thus, walking is typically more convenient than driving.  And, if walking isn’t an attractive option for some reason (e.g., rainstorm), I take the bus (using my getDowntown go!pass).

Thanks for sharing your story, Janet.  Do you have a Commuter Challenge success story?  If you do, email it to me at info@getdowntown.org.

I just got the listing of all of Bike Ypsi’s spring events and thought I would share it here.  Bike Ypsi is an amazing volunteer run Bike Advocacy and Fun organization.

Here’s what they are planning in the coming months

MetroPark Rides
3rd Saturday each month, April thru November
9:00 am departure, optional 8:00 breakfast at Cafe Luwak
A moderate-pace ride out to various MetroParks and back, with time to stop and have lunch at the turn-around point. Bring food to eat, or cash to buy food with. Route maps will be provided, but it’s a self-supported ride – bring your own water, spare inner tube, etc. More information on each ride at bikeypsi.org.

Bike Ypsi Spring Ride and Festival
Sunday, May 3, 10:00 am, Recreation Park Pavilion,
1015 Congress Street, Ypsilanti MI

RIDES
Long Ride (33 miles), 10:00 am
Medium Ride (13 miles, with optional 6 mile add-on loop), 10:00 am
Neighborhood Ramble/Scavenger Hunt (family friendly ride), depart at the time you choose from 10 am to 1 pm

FESTIVAL
Activities for every age, BBQ, bike polo, bike related games, info booths, and more. Starts at 12:00 p.m.
Minors are required to wear a helmet and must be accompanied by an adult.

Riders will have the opportunity to ride with slower or faster paced groups.
Bicycling events are free and open to the public.

Bike to Work w/ Bike Ypsi
Every Friday in May
Meet up with local Ypsi-to-Ann Arbor commuters for a leisurely ride to work.
Mornings: 8:00am, Bombadill’s café, 217 W. Michigan Ave.
Evenings: 5:15pm, Ann Arbor Farmers Market, 315 Detroit St.

June Ypsi Rambles
Every Saturday in June, 10:00am,
Ypsilanti Farmers Market, Rice Street in Depot Town
45 minutes, relaxed pace, new riders encouraged, street riding and bike paths included. Family friendly ride but you must be 10 years old to be on your own bike.

Weekly Sunday Rides
Every Sunday, 1:00pm, Recreation Park, Elm and Congress
Our usual weekly group ride is moderate paced and lasts about an hour or two, depending on who is riding and where they vote to go.

I’ve started posting info about our 2009 Commuter Challenge Ambassadors.  Check it out here.

Want to become an Ambassador for the Commuter Challenge?  Click here and sign up.

FYI:

When: Wed, April 1, 7pm – 9pm

Where: Forsythe Middle School Media Center, 1655 Newport Road, Ann Arbor, MI

Description: Learn about and share your ideas regarding potential improvements to this portion of Miller Avenue, which could include repaving, utility replacements, improved bicycle lanes and pedestrian crossings, installation of sidewalks and storm water improvements.

Questions? Contact Project Engineer Nick Hutchinson, 734.794.6410, extension 43633 / nhutchinson@a2gov.org.

Please answer the following question:

1. Why do you ride the bus to work?
a. It’s free with my go!pass and gas costs money
b. I like not having to worry about finding a parking space
c. It’s less stressful than driving downtown.
d. All of the above!

If you answered d, give yourself a pat on the back!  You’ve discovered the many reasons riding the bus to downtown Ann Arbor just makes sense.

Our Commuter Challenge Success Story #3 comes from Eduardo Galvan of Survey Sciences Group, who now rides the bus to work.

But Eduardo wasn’t always a bus-rider.  It took the Commuter Challenge (as well as high gas prices) to motivate him to try the bus.

Even though gas prices have come down, Eduardo continues to ride the bus.  Why?  Here’s what Eduardo has to say:

I continue to ride the bus at a minimum three days a week.  I arrive to work feeling less stressed out as I don’t have to worry about finding a parking space and I don’t have to deal with other drivers.  I love my go!pass!

Are you looking for a way to decrease your stress and increase your income?  Consider taking the bus to work.  Motivate yourself today by signing up for the getDowntown Commuter Challenge.  Click here to sign up!

We’ve got a bunch of Ambassadors this year and here’s what I am asking them to do.  Anyone else with some spare time is also welcome to do any of this.  Spread the word!

Promotions: 3 ways you can help Promote the Challenge This is the Thing we need most right now!

1. Invite your friends, co-workers, and co-workers friends to sign up for the Commuter Challenge! The best way to promote the challenge is by work of mouth, so please encourage your friends to sign up.  To help you out, I’ve posted template emails below you can send along.

2. Grab some postcards from us and spread them far and wide. We’ve got postcards here at the Chamber (115 W. Huron, 3^rd Floor, corner of Main and Huron) or we can mail them to you.  We’ll also have stickers soon!

3. Print out some materials and post them. We’ve got materials for you to download here: http://www.getdowntown.org/programs/commuter/Promote_the_Challenge.html

Media: 4 Ways you can help us with Media

1. Follow the Commuter Challenge Twitter Account GdtCC and when you Twitter about the Commuter Challenge use #CoCh

2. Join the Commuter Challenge Facebook Group and post pictures, video or a podcast.

3. Be thinking about some blog posts. We’ll be sending you a login for our blog soon.

4. Check out Commuter Challenge Central: http://blog.getdowntown.org/commuter-challenge-central/ What can we do to make it better?

Events: Ways you can help us with Events

1. Check out our events page: We continue to add events as we get them.  Our list of events is here: http://www.getdowntown.org/programs/commuter/Events.html .

2. We’d like to do some events at worksites in the coming month. If you want to work with us to do something (a prize drawing, a contest, etc.) at your worksite, please let us know.

Prize Patrol

Update on Prize Patrol: We’re still getting the prizes for this and will give you more details soon.

Education and Advocacy: How you can help with Education and Advocacy

Community Forum on Pedestrian Rights: You might be interested in a Community Forum on Pedestrian rights that is being organized by the WBWC.  If you’d like to help organize it, please email Lily Guzman at guzmanl@ewashtenaw.org

Be thinking of Blog Posts, Letters to the Editor, etc. that you’d like to write. We’ll be asking you for your thoughts soon.

Oftentimes when I talk about the Commuter Challenge or about sustainable transportation in general, people think it’s only for people who live in Ann Arbor.

This Commuter Challenge success story shows that carpooling can be a great and affordable option for people who live far away from Ann Arbor.

This story comes from Quinn Evans Architects. Quinn Evans has been participating in the Commuter Challenge for several years now and has always had great participation.

Valerie explains how she started carpooling with Mary during the Commuter Challenge:

When Mary and I first started to carpool, we both lived in South Lyon—a 30 minute commute from Ann Arbor.

We were the only two that lived in that area who worked at Quinn Evans.

We carpooled for the first time during the Commuter Challenge 2 years ago and we were the last two people left at the firm to fulfill the challenge requirements.

We enjoy great conversation during our drives and got to know each other better, so it seemed natural to continue to carpool when I moved to Whitmore Lake.

I am near the expressway so it’s only a mile out of her way to pick me up, which usually happens Monday–Wednesday.

Parking downtown is difficult and expensive so I have saved a lot of money by catching rides with Mary, and I have also made a great friend out of the deal!”

You, too can find a carpool partner!  Check out mirideshare.org to find a carpool partner in the area, or just ask around the office.  You never know who might be interested in sharing a ride.

Want to promote the 2009 Commuter Challenge at your worksite or in your community?  Download a nifty poster or postcard.  We’ve got them all right here.