The 2010 getDowntown Commuter Challenge has finally ended!  We had a great Awards Ceremony last night where we presented a variety of awards.  Here is a run down of who won what for Commuter Challenge 2010.

Commuter Challenge Winners 2010

getDowntown Leadership Award

The getDowntown Leadership award is given to the Manager or CEO who showed the strongest commitment to sustainable transportation during the Challenge.  These individuals were nominated by their employees. Click here for a list of all the nominees. The winner was the person who got the most votes of all of the Leadership Award Nominees

Winner: Bill Wilson, Manager, Thomson Reuters Healthcare and Science.
According to one employee, “Bill rides to work almost everyday on his bicycle…snow, sleet and rain. He cares about our environment and is conscientious of his energy usage, the impact of our corporation on the environment. Plus he’s a brilliant software engineer, musician, coworker and a good manager.”

Super Commuter Award

The Super Commuter award is given to the individual who has shown an incredible commitment to using sustainable transportation during the Commuter Challenge and also got the most votes of all of the Super Commuter Nominees.  Click here for a list of all the nominees. The winner was the person who got the most votes of all of the Super Commuter Award Nominees.

Winner: Alan Zoltowski, Washtenaw County Trial Court, Friend of the Court.
According to a co-worker, “Alan is a tireless, fearless bicyclist and commutes 36 miles round trip each day from his home in Canton to our office in Ann Arbor. Rain never stops him!  Alan is an inspiration to us all during our commuter challenge. Alan’s positive attitude has encouraged [a co-worker] to get out there more and not just be a “fair-weather commuter.”  Plus his consistency in commuting has given the rest of our office pause to think about finding other alternative ways to get to work.”

Multi-Modal Super Commuter Award

The Multi-Modal Super Commuter award is given to the individual who used the most different types of transportation during the Commuter Challenge

Winner: Gene Darnell, U.S. EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory.
Gene did 6 different types of sustainable transportation during the Commuter Challenge.  The types were bike, walk, bus, carpool, telecommute and other (running).

Alpha Ambassador Award

The Alpha Ambassador award is given to the Commuter Challenge Ambassador who got the most people excited about the Commuter Challenge and using sustainable transportation and who did the most to promote sustainable transportation during the Challenge.  Click here to see all of the Ambassadors. The winner of this award was determined by a vote.

Winner: Katy Derezinski, Thomson Reuters-Healthcare and Science

Most Miles Biked and Walked Awards

These awards were given to the individuals who logged the most bike commuting and walk commuting miles during the Commuter Challenge this year.

Winner: Kathleen Vonk, City of Ann Arbor. Kathleen logged 733 bike commute miles during the Commuter Challenge!

Winner: Xiaohong Wu, Washtenaw County-Finance Dept. Xiahong logged 140 walk commute miles during the Commuter Challenge!

Commuter-Friendly Workplace Awards

The Commuter-Friendly Workplace awards are given to the organizations who won the Commuter Challenge in their size category.  Winning was determined by which organization had the highest number of average sustainable commutes (walk, bike, bus, carpool/vanpool, telecommute, moped/motorcycle, etc) per employee.  Click here to see what they win.

2010 Commuter-Friendly Workplace Award Winners

• 1 person organization: Andrea Yun of the Ann Arbor Cello School (34 average commutes per employee)
• 2-10 person organization: Dascola Barbers (24.5 average commutes per employee)
• 11-25 person organization: ApplEcon (22.2 average commutes per employee)
• 26-50 person organization: Quinn Evans Architects (9.9 average commutes per employee)
• 51-100 person organization: UM College of Engineering, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences (6.1 average commutes per employee)
• 101-500 person organization: JSTOR (5.9 average commutes per employee)
• 500+ person organization: Thomson Reuters-Healthcare and Science (2.5 average commutes per employee)

Mike is the type of person you might not typically think of as a sustainable commuter. He’s the President and COO of a growing company. He’s a dad. And he has a free parking spot in the back of his building.

But don’t let those details fool you. From my interview with Mike it’s clear that commuting sustainably fits perfectly into his life and has some unexpected benefits. Mike Felkey works at Intersect Digital, a small web development firm with some big clients. Intersect has worked with such companies as Subaru and Saatchi & Saatchi. The company’s headquarters is in downtown Ann Arbor (on First Street) and they also have a location in New York (who doesn’t, really). Depending on the amount of work available, Intersect employs anywhere from 17 to 60 employees. Currently, business is on the upswing.

The first clue into Mike’s interest in sustainable commuting comes when we talk about the company’s culture. Intersect is very supportive of telecommuting for its employees. Since many of the company’s employees live in places like Southfield and Novi and since many of them are working mothers, this benefit really helps cut down on a stressful commute. As far as Mike’s concerned, as long as employees get the work done, it doesn’t matter where they do it. We then chatted a bit about Daniel Pink’s new book, Drive, which describes how the businesses of the future are finding ways to motivate their employees through giving them freedom rather than imposing tons of rules. And according to Mike, this philosophy really pays off.

So what about the employees who do commute to work? Since Intersect offers the go!pass to employees, some of them happily take the bus. Other employees walk or ride their bikes. As far as Mike goes, he likes to walk, bike or take the bus to work. His commute isn’t super short either. If he chooses to walk, it can take him about 40 minutes.

So what’s Mike’s motivation for walking, biking or busing to work? He’s got a free space out back, and could probably get to work by car in less than 40 minutes. A big benefit Mike sees in leaving his car at home is that walking, biking and busing are all great for his health. He gets to build some exercise into his day, which might otherwise be a challenge to find the time for. Now that there are Zipcars downtown (a couple just a block from him office), Mike can bike, walk or bus to work even when he needs to go to a meeting out of town.

As we start to chat a little about Mike’s kids (his son goes to Tappan and his daughter goes to Burn’s Park Elementary), I find out another great benefit of Mike’s commute. Both of his kids have grown up watching Mike walk to work and now they want to walk to school. With all of the current news about childhood obesity, the example that Mike is setting for his kids is really inspiring.

When I asked Mike what he might like to see improved about transportation in our community, he lists fixing the lights so they are more in sync, improving the parking downtown, and adding more bike lanes to make cycling safer. We also talked a little but about the possibility of light rail, which is a topic he’s really interested in. Mike even said he’d contemplate giving up his car if there were light rail, especially since there are Zipcars available.

Mike’s biking, walking and busing ways are not unique among leaders in downtown Ann Arbor. Rich Sheridan, CEO of Menlo Innovations, frequently bikes to work. Grace Singleton, Managing Partner at Zingerman’s Deli, is also a bike commuter. Bonnie Valentine of the Whole Brain Group often takes the bus to work. Curtis Sullivan and Liz DellaRocco, owners of Vault of Midnight walk and carpool to work.

Any downtown commuter can join this great list of leaders. All you have to do is hop on a bus, grab your bike, or strap on your walking shoes. If you work downtown and would like some help figuring out which commuting option is best for you, getDowntown can help! Simply give us a call, check out our website or send us an email for personal commuting assistance.

Some great new services for downtown employees and employers from getDowntown:

If you’re a little hesitant about busing, biking or carpooling to work downtown, you’re not alone. The world of sustainable transportation can be a little daunting.

That’s where we come in.  The getDowntown Program has experience with every commuting option you could think of (except maybe a pogo stick).

To make your life easier, we’ve created this handy Commuting Question form. All you have to do is type in your commuting question and we’ll send you a personal response.  Please note, this service is only available for employees/employers  in downtown Ann Arbor.

Click here to send us a Commuting Question.

Don’t have a question now?  Our Commuting Question form is on our website whenever you need it: getdowntown.org/resources/commutingquestion.html

Attention Downtown Employees, Managers, Admin Assistants, and HR Directors:

Wish you had a packet of commuting information for your employees?  Wish you could get all of your commuting materials delivered to your door? Wish granted!

You can now request materials from the getDowntown Program for all commuting options to downtown Ann Arbor.  From AATA Ride Guides to bike maps to new employee orientation guides, we have it all.

And every order comes with a free getDowntown pen!

Please note: this service is only available to downtown Ann Arbor employers/employees

Click here to request commuting materials from getDowntown.

Here at the getDowntown Program we spend a lot of time talking about the traditional commuting options like walking, biking, busing and carpooling.  But what about people who get to work a little more unconventionally?  When I recently stopped by Vault of Midnight I was surprised to learn that many of their employees commute to work by skateboard. Clearly there’s a strong culture of sustainable commuting at the store, which can definitely be traced back to the owners, Curtis Sullivan and Liz DellaRocco.  As part of our Leading by Example series, getDowntown interviewed Curtis and Liz about using sustainable transportation in downtown Ann Arbor.

Curtis and Liz usually walk and carpool to work and often pick up employees along the way.  They can also be found getting to work by busing, biking, and skateboarding.  They prefer using a sustainable mode of transportation because there usually isn’t a reason to drive.  And one of the best benefits of not driving to work is avoiding all those tickets!

Curtis and Liz find that they don’t have to do much to encourage their employees to walk, bike, bus, etc because they already do it.  Vault of Midnight staff see the value in talking sustainable transportation to get to work.  I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that when you bike/walk/skateboard/bus downtown the parking is free and often more convenient than parking your car.

What could downtown Ann Arbor do to become more supportive of sustainable transportation?  According to Curtis and Liz, it would be great if the City would amend the skateboard law so people could use skateboards as a viable commuting option (currently skateboarding is illegal on some sidewalks in downtown Ann Arbor, click here to read my perspective on this issue).

When asked what they hear from their employees about commuting to downtown Ann Arbor, Curtis and Liz replied that their employees would like to see Ann Arbor amend the skateboard law, have drivers pay more attention to bikes, have improved bike facilities and institute clear rules for cycling behavior that everyone knows and understands.

Liz and Curtis love having their business downtown because it’s a great community of unique local shops. Looking to the future, Liz and Curtis would like to see local stores continue to populate downtown rather than larger big box stores.

Liz and Curtis really appreciate the programs provided by the getDowntown Program, especially the go!pass program.

Finally, when asked what advice they have for new businesses in downtown Ann Arbor, Liz and Curtis replied, “Stick to it, and be passionate—we need your unique business in Ann Arbor.”

When it comes to encouraging people to bike, bus, walk or carpool, no one sets a better example than your boss.  That’s why the getDowntown Program is taking a moment to highlight some downtown business managers who demonstrate a commitment to using sustainable transportation and encourage their employees to do the same.  These interviews provide insight into why these leaders use sustainable transportation, how it benefits their employees and much more.

Our first interview is with Bonnie Valentine, Business Lead, the Whole Brain Group.  The Whole Brain Group is a small women-owned business that provides custom web-based software for a variety of clients from academic institutions to hospitals.  The Whole Brain Group is based in downtown Ann Arbor.

Now, on with the interview . . .

Leading by Example: Bonnie Valentine, Business Lead, the Whole Brain Group.

getDowntown (gDt): Do you try to walk, bike, bus, carpool etc to work?
Bonnie Valentine (BV): My primary methods of transportation are a combination of walking and  the bus.  However, once I reach my downtown office I’ll carpool with  co-workers to meetings or events outside of downtown limits.

gDt: Why is  sustainable commuting important to you?
BV: My reasons for walking and using the bus to commute are many.  Most important to me is reducing my carbon footprint and setting an example to others that an automobile isn’t necessarily the answer for
transportation.

gDt:  What do you do to encourage others at your workplace to try biking, busing, walking, etc?
BV: Continue talking about my personal experiences from meeting other’s  during my commute.  Remind them of my dollar savings from reducing the  need of a second family car, insurance, gas, less parking tickets and  monthly parking expense.  Lead by example in working from home -  telecommuting – a couple days of week.

gDt:  Have all of the different transportation options there are to get to downtown benefited your employees and/or your business?  If so, how so?  If not, why not?
BV: The bus has assisted our employees getting to and from the Ann Arbor Office  on 5th Avenue/Washington.  In the past we had an employee that  commuted from Chelsea using the Chelsea Express Bus.  Many employees
telecommute – one employee from New York – and we use conference  phone, online tools (documents, chat, presentation) not only with employees, but clients on our national roster saving cost on air transportation.

gDt: What would be the single best thing that downtown Ann Arbor could do to make it easier for people to get downtown by biking, walking, busing, etc.?
BV: It would be great if the downtown A2 would create a partnership with a  local gym facility for biking commuters requiring a shower and  clothing change.  Possibly a discount or flash your pass to gain
access to showers and lockers at YMCA, UM, or other gyms.  My co-workers and I have biked in the past.  Our main hang up for not  continuing via bike transportation is due to our offices not having  showers.  It is hard to sit across from a client after an aerobic work- out.

gDt: What do you hear from your employees about what they would like to see related to commuting to work in downtown Ann Arbor?
BV: The Zipcar fleet was a nice addition, but the main issue continues to be parking downtown.  We can walk to a meeting location faster than signing up for Zipcar and then finding and paying for parking for
shuttling between client meetings.

gDt: What is the best thing about having your business downtown?
BV: The best thing about having a downtown office is the close proximity  to clients and networking events.  In addition, our office is the central meeting point for all employees.  We have employees from Yspilanti, Ann Arbor, and Dexter.

gDt: What would you like to see happen downtown in the next 10 years?
In the next ten years, I’d like to see a mass transit plan implemented with connections from downtown to access outside the City Limits of  Ann Arbor.  Including transportation hooks to move people across the townships of Ann Arbor into the current bus routes of downtown Ann Arbor.  Increase bus access moving across town on the edges of city limits via bus services without going downtown through the bus depot i.e. North Campus Plymouth Road to Arborland.

Possibly, have the AATA and AAPS work together to provide adequate transportation services to middle and high school (not elementary school) students access to school via public transportation methods.  Finally, I’d like delivery
vehicles which idle in the downtown streets and alleys be electric or a form of non-petro fuel to further reduce pollution and carbon.

gDt: What is one thing the getDowntown Program could do to help your employees with getting to work by busing, biking, walking etc?
BV: The getDowntown May Commuter Challenge is a great motivator to get employees using different methods of transportation.  Usually habits are formed after the 30 days that create lasting effects.  Maybe add
another Commuter Challenge against another town similar in size.

gDt: Any advice or words of wisdom for new businesses moving into downtown Ann Arbor?
BV: Words of advice for new businesses moving into downtown A2 are to consider incentives for employees to commute.  New employees generally look to receive compensation for having to pay for their parking downtown.  The employer can offer an incentive to employees who commute to by providing them a stipend for curbing their car.   Employers can offer telecommuting on certain days of the week.

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.

As the temperature is dropping and the winter holidays approach, it’s a perfect time to get more winter gear! You don’t need to trek out to a mall or superstore to get these goods either, as there’s a lot going on right here downtown.

What follows is a list of downtown merchants who sell cold weather gear, and what discounts apply for purchasing goodies:

Name: Acme Mercantile
Website: www.acmemercantile.com
Address: 111 W. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: hat & scarf sets, gloves
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Scarves, gloves, Leopard and zebra fezes

Name: 16 Hands
Website: www.16handsgallery.com
Address: 216 S. Main
What type of winter gear they sell: hats, scarves and gloves
go!pass or other discount? 15% off cards and books for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Local artists working with fleece and knitwear, Neat winter hats, Messenger bags

Name: Bivouac
Website: www.bivouacannarbor.com
Address: 336 S. State
What type of winter gear they sell: boots, jackets, hats and scarves, gloves and mittens, high visibility gear, fleece and long underwear, socks, grips you can wear on your shoes
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Balaclava-covers head and neck, Merino wool base layers for tops and bottoms, Yak Tracks (grips for shoes)

Name: Downtown Home and Garden
Website: www.downtownhomeandgarden.com
Address: 210 S. Ashley St
What type of winter gear they sell: grips for your shoes so you don’t slip on the ice, hot coffee and hot cocoa
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Stabilicers (shoe grips), Muck Co. water-proof flexible boots, Winter work gloves

Name: Elmo’s Mainstreet T-Shirts
Website: www.mainstreett-shirts.com
Address: 220 South Main St
go!pass or other discount? $5 off any A2 t-shirt until 12/25/08 for go!pass users
What type of winter year they sell: Hats and gloves

Name: Footprints on Main
Website: www.shopfootprints.com
Address: 217 S Main St
What type of winter gear they sell: boots
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Merrill boots and Clogs, Encore Stitch boot (warm and stylish for women), Keen Newport Trail for Men, Baffin Winter Boots

Name: Footprints on South U
Website: www.shopfootprints.com
Address: 1200 S. University
What type of winter gear they sell: boots
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Keen Boots

Name: Fourth Ave Birkenstocks
Website: www.birkenstock.com
Address: 209 N. Fourth
What type of winter gear they sell: boots
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: This is a good time to get summer shoes repaired, Smart Wool socks, Smart Wool full-zip sweater jacket (several colors), DigiWalker Pedometers, Sheepskin boots from Warmbat, Finn Comfort boots

Name: Kiwanis
Website: www.myannarbor.net/kiwanis/
Only open Saturdays from 9am-12pm
What type of winter gear they sell: a used clothing store with all sorts of winter weather gear from hats to jackets to boots

Name: Middle Earth
Website: www.middleearthgifts.com
Address: 1209 S. University
What type of winter gear they sell: See staff suggestion column.
go!pass or other discount? 10% off non-sale merch for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Hats and gloves and scarves, Smoking Mitten, (holes for a cigarette), Moxies (moccasin slipper), Coffee and tea mugs

Name: Moosejaw
Website: www.moosejaw.com
Address: 327 S. Main
What type of winter gear they sell: jackets, fleece, mittens and gloves, hats and scarves, warm socks
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Arc’teryx covert scarf, Marmot Randonnee gloves, Patagonia big mountain beanie, Wind proof and water resistant clothing, Water proof, gore-tex boots, Hard shell and a couple of layers

Name: Orchid Lane
Address: 419 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: hats, scarves, mittens, sweaters
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: -hats, gloves-Mucklucs (slippers made by a co-op), winter jackets, wool sweaters, slippers.

Name: People’s Food Co-op
Website: www.peoplesfood.coop/
Address: 216 N. Fourth St
What type of winter gear they sell: tights, some scarfs and hats

Name: Red Shoes
Website: www.redshoeshomegoods.com
Address: 332 S. Ashley
What type of winter gear they sell: See Staff Suggestions.
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Winter wool scarves and gloves made out of recycled sweaters, Baby hats

Name: Running Fit
Website: www.runningfit.net
Address: 123 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: See staff suggestion column.
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Yak Tracks: helps to walk on ice, Hats and gloves, Wool socks

Name: Sam’s Store
Address: 207 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: boots, jackets, hats and scarves, gloves and mittens, fleece and long underwear, socks
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Waterproof and breathable rain jackets by Columbia, Duofold long underwear, Hats, face masks, and gloves of all prices.

Name: Sweetwater’s
Website: www.sweetwaterscafe.com
Address: 123 W. Washington
What type of winter gear they sell: Hot Coffee, Tea and Hot Cocoa
go!pass or other discount? 10% off your order with your go!pass

Name: Suwanee Springs
Address: 306 S. Main
What type of winter gear they sell: sweaters and more
go!pass or other discount? 10% off with your go!pass
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Rebecca Beeson tops, Level 99 Jeans, Hobo Handbags

Name: Tortoise and Hare
Website: www.tortoiseandhare.com
Address: 209 E. Liberty
What type of winter gear they sell: see suggestions.
go!pass or other discount? 10% for go!pass users
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Nike Sphere Dry Hoodie, Winter run mits, Smart Wool Socks

Name: Van Boven Shoes
Address: 17 Nickels Arcade
What type of winter gear they sell: boots , warm hats
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Boots, gloves, hats, Ugg Australia and Ecco Brands

Name: V2V
Address: 407 N. Fifth
What type of winter gear they sell: see staff suggestions
go!pass or other discount? 10% off home products after 4pm with go!pass
Staff recommendations for items they sell: Hats, gloves, scarves, and jackets (huge assortment)

There’s a great article on Kiplinger.com about how getting employees out of their cars can actually be good for business.  The article sites a bunch of businesses that are encouraging employees to use sustainable transportation and some of the great results.

Some of the findings:

• Over the last few years, Cisco tested its Virtual Office telecommuting technology on more than 12,000 employees worldwide — roughly 20% of staff. The results: Auto emissions fell by 30,435 tons annually and Cisco saved more than $168,000 that would have gone to buy carbon offsets.
• Easier worker commutes can fatten bottom lines. An internal survey at Sun Microsystems, for example, shows that workers gave 60% of the time they saved commuting back to the company. In gridlocked regions throughout the country, that could add up to an extra hour each day, per telecommuter.

• Phil Winters, transportation demand management program director at the National Center for Transit Research at the University of South Florida, says the cost to hire and retrain new staff and increase productivity to the level of the worker being replaced can be up to 1.5 times a worker’s annual salary.

Good stuff.  Read the article here: Driving a Low-Carbon Commute.

Last year, Washtenaw County employees had a really great time participating in the Commuter Challenge.  Many people who never bus, biked, walked, or carpooled before decided to check it out in May.

But the excitment and enthusiam didn’t stop on April 1.  Instead, the County began looking into ways to continue to encourage their employees to use sustainable transportation to get to work.

One idea was to have bike lockers for employees to use so that they would have a safe and dry place to store their bikes.

Well I am happy to report that the DDA recently installed 3 sets of bike lockers by the County Building, which hold a total of 6 bikes.  These lockers are free to use for County Employees.

I snapped some pics so you could check them out.

One is right next to the Main Street Building on Catherine:

Bike Lockers for Washtenaw County Workers

The other is across the street from the Sculpture Plaza on Fourth Ave:

Bike Locker for County Employees on Fourth Ave

This is one of many initiatives that the County is working on to encourage their employees to use sustainble transportation.  I say yeah to that!

The Official Google Blog recently wrote this post to celebrate their 2 year Anniversary in Ann Arbor.

As part of highlighting some of the things that make Ann Arbor great, the blog discusses Google A2′s commitment to being green:

“Popular Science magazine ranked Ann Arbor in the top 25 greenest cities in America.  Some 50,000 trees grow along Ann Arbor streets, and city parks boast another 50,000. And while no trees actually grow in the Google office, our cheeks do seem to be turning a nice leafy shade of green — probably from walking and biking to work as part of Ann Arbor’s Commuter Challenge, swapping paper for reusable dishes in our cafeteria, and educating ourselves on composting and recycling.”

Yeah!  As you can see, Google A2 directly relates being green to walking and biking to work.  And they did a great job with the Commuter Challenge.  Some Googlers even posted on the getDowntown blog during May.  You can read their posts here and here.

Google’s decision to locate in downtown Ann Arbor gives them access to great commuting benefits from the go!pass to a great bike and pedestrian-friendly location.  I hope Google will be here for years to come.