Week 2 of the Commuter Challenge ended with a bang as we celebrated National Bike to Work Day.  More on Bike to Work Day here.

The Numbers

So far, 140 Organizations and 1,802 participants have signed up for the Challenge.  This is by far the most we’ve ever had!  Of those participants, 1,319 have logged at least 1 sustainable commute.  Collectively, we’ve logged 95,607 miles and avoided 81,829 lbs of CO2!

The Winners

Here’s who’s winning the Challenge so far.  View updated stats here.

1 Person Orgs: Keystone Media has pulled out ahead with Gardener Communications close behind.

2-9 Person Orgs: Ghostly International and Friends still has a commanding lead with the Greenway Collaborative and Mike Green and Associates still going strong.

10-24 Person Orgs: This has been a bitter fight with ApplEcon currently in the lead.  Above the Treeline and UM’s EWRE PUORG are still within spitting distance.

25-99 Person Orgs: Apparently there is a bit of spousal rivalry going on in this category.  She works for Menlo Innovations.  He works for Quinn Evans Architects.  Currently, Menlo is in first place and Quinn Evans is in 2nd.  The UM Center for the Child and the Family (which has won every year of the Challenge) is a very close 3rd.

100-499 Person Orgs: JSTOR continues to dominate this category, with the UM’s CoE-AOSS and Zingerman’s Deli in 2nd and 3rd place.

So what will these Orgs win if they win the Challenge?  Click here to find out.

Prizes, We Got Your Prizes!

We’ve been giving out 4 prizes every day during the Commuter Challenge.  These week, we gave out prizes to people who logged a bus commute.  Next week, we’ll be giving out prizes to those who log a bike commute.  Check out who’s winning our prizes here.

We also have our Ambassadors out there as part of the Commuter Challenge Prize Patrol.  Maybe they’ll give you a prize.

Know someone who’s been a Super Commuter during the Commuter Challenge?  Why not nominate them for a Super Commuter Prize?

Awards

Is your organization showing a real commitment to being green during the Commuter Challenge?  Nominate them for a Green Hero Award.

Looking Ahead

Next week is Walking is Wondering Week. The Week after that is Let’s Share Week.  Click here to check out all of the Commuter Challenge events

The weather couldn’t have been better for our Bike to Work Day Rally today!  The rally began with a performance by the Ann Arbor Bike Choir (bicyclized Ode to Joy).  We then had the Mayor give some remarks.  Finally, we handed out some awards, like Shortest Commute, Oldest Bike, and more.

All in all, I thought it went pretty well.  As is usually the case, we didn’t have enough food (those were hungry cyclists!), but we’ll keep trying to address that.

I really appreciated that the Mayor said we keep needing to become a better community for cyclists.  I don’t think that any of us would argue that Ann Arbor is a great city for biking relative to the rest of the state.  But we could be so much better.  We have a non-motorized plan, but we need the money to implement it.  We’ve continued to create more bike lanes and other amenities, but we still don’t have a bike advocacy organization with a full time staff person.  So it all could be better.  But all the same, as someone who’s biked in Madison, WI, Washingon D.C., Montgomery Village, MD, and Grinnell, IA I do like biking in Ann Arbor (especially where there are bike lanes!).

I gave a little talk at the beginning of the event, focusing on why I think Bike to Work Day is important:

1. Biking as Transportation: Bike to Work Day is a day that spotlights biking as transportation.  Since some people still perceive biking as something only done for fun, this is an important statement.  People to and can bike to work!
2. Bikes Belong in the Road: Bike to Work Day also allows cyclists a day when they have increased visibility because more people are biking to work.  Bikes do belong on the road (see #1 above) and should obey the same rules and drivers.
3. Biking is a Great Community-Building Experience: There is something about cycling that creates community.  We saw that today with the Ann Arbor Bike Choir and with all of the people who showed up at the event.

Hope you have a great Bike to Work Day!  Ride on!

In addition to the online Commuter Challenge, there are a wealth of events happening during the month of May.  Each week in May getDowntown will focus on a particular theme and have events related to that theme.

Commuter Challenge Week 3 is Walking is Wonderful Week

Walking is Wonderful Week (May 17-23)

Downtown Fitness Walk (May 18, 20 and 22, 12:00pm, Vie Fitness and Spa, 209 S. Ashley, Downtown Ann Arbor)

Get out your walking shoes! getDowntown is partnering with Vie:Fitness and Spa for an exciting free event.  Commuter Challenge participants can sign up for a special fitness walk downtown that ends at Vie’s wonderful raw juice and smoothie bar.  Join us for a light, cross-training inspired 20-minute walk during the Commuter Challenge and you might just win a prize!

Click here to Register for the Downtown Fitness Walks.

Walk, Talk and Chalk with WBWC (May 19, 6:30pm, Meet outside Sweetwaters Cafe at 123 W. Washington St., Rain Date, Tuesday, May 26, 6:30pm)

Join the Washtenaw Bicycling and Walking Coalition (WBWC) for a fun walk around downtown Ann Arbor. Meet local walking advocates and chat about how to make Ann Arbor a more walkable city. We’ll record the meeting with sidewalk chalk as we meander through downtown. Key ideas will be photographed for posterity and shared with policy makers and city staff at a later date. Come alone or bring a friend!

Daily Prize Drawings (all week!)

Every weekday during this week we will be giving out prizes to Commuter Challenge participants who log a walk commute.  Click here for details.

This post comes from Commuter Challenge Ambassador Jonathan from Inner Circle Media.

After the Bike-to-Work Day festivities this morning, I got talking to a friend of mine about biking in general. He sent me this YouTube clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcSD5MsQuVo

How excellent would it be to have one several of these in downtown A2? Much more space efficient than our current lockers, I’d think.

This is the 3rd in our series of Commuting Guides to Ann Arbor.  This post will be saved as a page on the getDowntown blog.  To view the most updated version of this page, go here.

Did you know that in 2008 Ann Arbor was ranked the 3rd best City for Walking by the American Podiatric Association and Prevention Magazine?  One of the reasons is because so many employees walk to work!  If you are trying to walk to work to or in Ann Arbor, here’s an overview of your options:

Where to Walk?

If you are new to the area or new to walking to work you might want to know the best ways to walk to work.  Here are a couple of ways to answer that question:

Maps

• Downtown Walking Map: The Downtown Development Authority has a walking map that shows a person’s eye view of Ann Arbor.  The map has AATA bus stops, important downtown locations, and other information on it.  The Walk Map is available at any parking structure, at the DDA Offices (150 South Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor) at the Convention and Visitors Bureau (120 W. Huron in downtown Ann Arbor) and at the Ann Arbor Area Chamber of Commerce (115 W. Huron, 3rd Floor, on the corner of Main and Huron downtown).

Online resources:

• Google Walking Directions: Most places you can walk are also good for biking.  Why not use Google walking directions to plan a bike route?  Just go to maps.google.com
• Walk Score: How walkable is your community?  Find out on Walk Score.
• Gmaps Pedometer: This program lets you map out a walking route and shows you the distance as well as the calories you burn!
• Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition email group: There are many walkers on the WBWC email group.  If you want some advice on the best route to take, why not join the group and ask for some help?
• Contact us: As always, if you need some extra help, you can always email getDowntown and we can try to point you in the right direction.

Walking in the Winter

• Winter Gear Shopping Guide 2008: on the getDowntown blog.
• Who to contact in Ann Arbor to get snow or ice removed from a residential sidewalk.

Walking Advocacy Organizations

• Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition (WBWC): Local advocacy group for cyclists in Washtenaw County.
• Alliance for Biking and Walking: This national organization Provides advocacy and resources to promote walking and biking.
  

Recreational Walking Groups

• Washtenaw Wanderers Volksporting Club: This group leads all sorts of fun walking events throughout the year.

Walking to Work Hints and Tips

Here are some basic hints and tips to keep in mind when walking to work:

• Be prepared for the weather: Whether the weather will be rainy or snowy, hot or cold, be prepared!  All it takes is a glance at the Weather Forecast to know if you’ll need an umbrella or sunglasses, etc.   This will make your walk a lot more pleasant
• Plan your route in advance: Check out on of the resources above or ask a co-worker or friend for route suggestions.  If you have a good idea where you are going, it will be harder for you to get lost!
• Learn the AATA bus system: Even if you never plan on using it, it’s probably a good idea to know how to use the AATA buses if you walk to work.  That way, if you are ever feeling sick or just want to get home faster, you can take the bus.
• Get a Zipcar Membership: If you sometimes need a car and you work downtown, consider a Zipcar.  Zipcars allow you to check out a car by the hour for when you need it.  That way, you can keep your car at home.
• Invest in an MP3 Player or iPod: Listening to your favorite music, the radio, or a podcast is a great way to get even more out of your walk.

Other Walking to Work Resources

• Walking-related blog posts on the getDowntown Blog.
• Walker Tracker: A Community Site for Pedometer Fans to log and track their steps.
• Words of Wisdom from People who Walk to Work from the getDowntown Blog.
  
• #walking and #walk on Twitter.