Ann Arbor has once again made it on one of those lists.  This time we were ranked #14 out of the 50 top Bike Friendly Cities by Bicycling Magazine.

Here’s the slide with a picture of Ann Arbor and some other info

So who are the cities that came in ahead of us?  Here are the top 5 bike friendly cities, according the Bicycling Magazine:

1. Minneapolis, MN
2. Portland, OR
3. Boulder, CO
4. Seattle, OR
5. Eugene, OR

Stop into Sweetwaters on Washington Street in downtown Ann Arbor this Friday, Oct 30 from 7-9:30am to chat with Zipcar reps about Zipcar Ann Arbor.  They will be handing out Zipcar info and also have some free coffee.  So stop by, say hi, and learn more about Zipcar Ann Arbor!

My co-worker and I were walking down Washington Street by Fouth Ave when we noticed this little guy attached to a bike rack:

Apparently it’s a velomobile.  According to the Blue Velo website: “Velomobiles are human powered vehicles. Hand-crafted using light weight materials such as carbon fibre and aluminium they provide an innovative and environmentally friendly alternative for commuting, touring, or personal recreation.”

Looks like this person opted for the Quest Model.  Wonder whose it is?

Want to see where your bus is in real time?  Want to see where a particular stop is for your route?  If you currently take Route 6 (Ellisworth and Briarwood) all of this can now be yours!  AATA is partnering with Shepard Intelligent Systems to pilot a program similar to Magic Bus on Route 6.  This is a pilot that could be expanded to other Routes.

Check it out and tell them what you think!

FYI, I’ll be doing a presentation Friday at the Workantile Exchange (118 S. Main Street) from 11:30-1:00pm.  I’ll be telling you how not to be a slave to your car.

A little teaser:

In an uncertain world, only 1 thing is certain: you need to be prepared for uncertainty!

Come to this talk and you’ll learn how to be prepared for when gas prices go up to $8.00.  Or when your car breaks down.  Or when a blizzard buries your Pruis in 10 feet of snow.

Should be fun.

Every year I take a trip to the Association for Commuter Transportation Conference.  This is an awesome conference for people all over the country who specialize in Transportation Demand Management (TDM).

In 2007, the conference was in Seattle.  In 2008 it was in Atlanta.

This year, the conference is in D.C., which is where I am from originally (well, Montgomery Village, actually).

It’s been a really great experience coming back to D.C., especially from a transportation point of view.  Some of the highlights so far:

• D.C. has a bike sharing program and I saw one of the stations at Dupot Circle.  It looks pretty straightforward with a electronic display.  I’ll have to keep an eye out to see them in use.
• D.C. also now has a circulator bus.  I’ll be interested in checking it out since we just decided to suspend the Link for a while here in Ann Arbor.  Obviously, it will be a whole different situation being in such a big city than it is in Ann Arbor.
• I love all of the people everywhere!  That’s the cool thing about cities.  And something I always am amazed at in Ann Arbor.

Well I’m off to check out Arlington’s commuter services this afternoon.  They are supposed to have a phenomenal plan.  Maybe I’ll blog about it when I get back.

Starting today there is now some on-street bike parking in three different locations in downtown Ann Arbor.  This is temporary parking that will be around during the warmer months.  Each on-street bike parking rack holds about a dozen bikes.  The racks are located in front of the People’s Food Co-Op on Fourth Ave, Arbor Brewing Company on Washington, and Bivouac on State Street.

Here are some pictures of the one at the People’s Food Co-op.  It already has some bikes in it!

Hey there, go!pass holder!

Did you know you can get all kinds of discounts on all sorts of stuff just by showing your go!pass?

That’s right!  I’m talking about go!pass discounts.  If you don’t know about go!pass discounts, you should.

There is a list of all of the fabulous go!pass discounts right on our website.

Thirsty? Get 10% off at Sweetwater’s Coffee and Tea or 20% off a 20 oz Smoothie at Smoothie King, or even a free soda at the Aut Bar!

Hungry? Get discounts on food from Back Alley Gourmet, Banditos, Stucchis and lots more

Not to mention you can get discounts on clothes, accessories, gifts, cards . . . the list goes on and on!

So what are you waiting for?  Use your go!pass discounts today!

We had a wonderful awards ceremony yesterday!  Lot’s of fun and excitement.  Thanks to everyone who made it possible.

Commuter Challenge 2009 Award Winners

Commuter Challenge Commuter-Friendly Workplace Award

This award is given to the organization who won the Commuter Challenge in their size category.

1 Person Organization Winner: Wally Meyers at Suwanee Springs. Wally is also receiving a $50 gift certificate from the Main Street Area Association.
2-9 Person Organization Winner: Dascola Barbers. Dascola Barbers will also receive a free Pizza Party from Cottage Inn.
10-24 Person Organization Winner: ApplEcon. ApplEcon will also receive free 10 minute massage coupons from Relax Station for everyone in the organization!
25-99 Person Organization Winner: Quinn Evans Architects. Quinn Evans will also receive a Free Tea Tasting From Arbor Teas for anyone in the organization that participated in the Commuter Challenge.
100-499 Person Organization Winner: UM College of Engineering, Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences. They also won last year. This organization will also receive a free box of 6 chocolates from Schakolad for anyone in the organization that participated in the Commuter Challenge.
500+ Person Organization Winner: the City of Ann Arbor. The organization will also receive a free movie ticket to the Michigan Theater for anyone in the organization that participated in the Commuter Challenge.

To see all organizational stats, click here.

Super Commuter Award

This 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.

The Super Commuter Nominees are:

• Gail Christopherson, IT Director, Ann Arbor Credit Bureau
• Jane Allen, Legal Secretary, City of Ann Arbor
• Mike Woelmer, Senior Software Consultant, SRT Solutions
• Tracy Weaver, Facilities Manager, Google

The Winner of the Super Commuter Award is Mike Woelmer, Senior Software Consultant, SRT Solutions!
According to a co-worker, “Mike lives 18 miles from the office. He’s been riding his bike to work, round trip, most days (he’s only skipped days that he has to drive to a customer site, and on those days, he’s carpooled). In addition, he was the person who spearheaded our involvement in the commuter challenge and who has been keeping people motivated.”

Multi-Modal Super Commuter Award

This award is given to the individual who used the most different types of transportation during the Commuter Challenge.

The Winner of the Multi-Modal Super Commuter Award is Joe Hood, IT Director at Quinn Evans Architects!
Joe did 7 different types of sustainable transportation during the Commuter Challenge. The types were bike, bus, carpool, telecommute, moped/motorcycle, walk and run. When we told Joe he was in the running for this award, he said, “gee, if I knew, I would have roller-bladed one day.”

getDowntown Leadership Award

The 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. The winner was the person who got the most votes of all of the Leadership Award Nominees.

The getDowntown Leadership Award Nominees are:

• Grace Singleton, Managing Partner, Zingerman’s Deli
• Rich Sheridan, CEO, Menlo Innovations
• Health Dupuis, Owner, Vie Fitness and Spa

And the Winner of the getDowntown Leadership Award is  Grace Singleton, Managing Partner, Zingerman’s Deli!
According to one employee: “Grace is an inspiration. She rides her bike year round. Which I personally think is pretty amazing. (she doesn’t live close by either). She made sure Zingerman’s was a sponsor this year. . . She is doing a lot outside the commuter challenge to help make Zingerman’s a bike / pedestrian friendly place.”

Alpha Ambassador Award

This 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. The winners of this award were determined by a vote.

The winners of the Alpha Ambassador Award are (4-way tie)

• Logan Schaedig, Arbor Brewing Company
• Katy Derezinski, Thomson Reuters
• Anne Warrow, City of Ann Arbor
• Kristen Cuhran, Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan

Green Hero Award

This award is given to the Commuter Challenge Organization who has shown the greatest commitment to sustainability during the Commuter Challenge and beyond.

The winner is Thomson Reuters Healthcare and Science!

Here are some of the reasons Thomson Reuters won this award:

• Last year, local Thomson Reuters leadership sponsored the formation of a “Green Team” – a group of employees from around the business who help orchestrate environmentally-friendly activities within the company.
• After the 2008 Commuter Challenge ended, Thomson Reuters staged its own version of Curb Your Car from June 1 until Labor Day. Around 80 employees participated, finding alternative ways to get to work and avoiding 16 tons of CO2 omissions. After the Challenge was over, we held an awards ceremony that honored all participants, with special awards for those who participated the most.
• In September 2008, Thomson Reuters’ Green Team coordinated Green Week where employees raised over $800 to purchase carbon offsets, facilities management expanded the office recycling program to include batteries and cell phones in addition to paper, plastics, and cardboard, a daily online newsletter sent to all employees provided office-based green tips and more!

Best Ambassador Blog Post

This award is given to the Commuter Challenge Ambassador with the best blog post, as determined by a vote of Commuter Challenge participants.

The Winner of this award is Shannon Riffe of the Ann Arbor District Library for her post “Why I Choose to Use Sustainable Transportation.“

Commuter Challenge Final Stats

Check out the Final Stats from the 2009 Commuter Challenge by clicking here

Thank Yous

getDowntown would like to thank all of the people and organizations who helped make the Commuter Challenge a Success:

Sponsors
Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority
UM Parking and Transportation Services
Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (The Ride)
Quinn Evans Architects
Thomson Reuters
Zingerman’s Delicatessen
Miller Canfield
vgkids

In-Kind Prize Donors
Footprints on Main Street
Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase
Kerrytown Concert House
BD’s Mongolian BBQ
Cosi
Starbuck’s on Main Street
Main Street Area Association
Seva Restaurant
Orbit Hair Design
Shalimar
Eastern Accents
Fourth Avenue Birkenstock
Cafe Ambrosia
The Earle
Arbor Brewing Company
Bank of Ann Arbor
Suwanee Springs
Bella Ciao
Performance Network Theatre
Ann Arbor Biscuit Co.
Ann Arbor Healing Arts, LLC
Raine @ Salon In The City
University of Michigan Parking and Transportation
South University Area Association
MichiVan Commuter Vanpools

Commuter Challenge Ambassadors
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