And the winners of the Bike Commuter Challenge are…

For 20 years, Active Trans has created thousands of new bike commuters each summer through the Bike Commuter Challenge. A big part of the success each year is due to Team Leaders, who gather support, drum up enthusiasm and serve as a resource for all the participants at the business or organization. 

This past Wednesday night, Active Trans held an awards and appreciation party for the Bike Commuter Challenge Team Leaders at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (see photos below). Team Leaders socialized over appetizers and beer before settling into the program.

At the event, we shared with Team Leaders the 2012 Bike Commuter Challenge winners. So here they are by category:

Public Agency
500+ employees: City of Chicago Department of Transportation
100-499: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
25-99: Peace Corps
5-24: City of Des Plaines
1-4: State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz

Business/Non-profit
500+: Orbitz
100-499: Center for Neighborhood Technology
25-99: Studio Gang Architects
5-24: American Lung Association in Greater Chicago, Beverly Area Planning Association, Mightybytes, Lincoln Park Zoo Education, Sam Schwartz Engineering, Pepper Group, CBOE, Parallel Architecture (tie)
1-4: Joel Berman Architecture and Design, Great Chicago Smiles, Greater Pilsen Economic, Development Association, Law Offices of Steven S. Shonder, Chicago Community Mennonite Church, Bugaj Architects, Allstate of Oak Park, Tamari & Blumenthal LLC, Harboe + Becker Architects (tie)

K-12 School
100-499: Whitney Young High School
25-99: Westinghouse College Prep

College/University
500+: School of the Art Institute
100-499: Northwestern University Library
25-99: UIC College of Nursing
5-24: University of Illinois at Chicago (Office of Sustainability)

Bicycle-related Business
100-499: SRAM
25-99: REI Lincoln Park
5-24: Upgrade Cycle Works
1-4: Warren Cycling

This year was the first year Active Trans collected trip data directly from each commuter rather than relying on the Team Leaders to report this to the organization. The transparency and real-time standings on the website created an entirely new dynamic: A team’s success depended on each team member’s full engagement and enthusiasm to track their own trips.

Here’s some data – with some figures surpassing all expectations – the new Bike Commuter Challenge website tracked:
 

• Total users: 6,813

• New bike commuters: 1,278 (18%)

• Female commuters: 2,726 (40%)

• Total commutes: 16,000

• Total miles: 161,000

• Most miles by a single commuter: 326 (Fred Stanton, Allstate)

• Biggest team: 317 (Groupon)

• Most team commutes: 783 (Groupon)

• Most team miles: 6,921 (University of Chicago)

Thanks to everyone who participated this year!