Press Release: Bike Commute Challenge begins September 1st

This just in from the BTA:

Month-Long Bike Commute Challenge Begins September 1st

August 25, 2008 – Starting September 1st, hundreds of businesses, non-profits, and government agencies across Oregon and SW Washington will compete in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Bike Commute Challenge. The Challenge is a month-long competition between
workplaces to see who can bike to work more. This is the 13th year of the Challenge.

The Bike Commute Challenge, the largest program of its kind, saw 888 businesses participate in 2007 with 9,746 individual participants logging bike commutes. This year we expect 1000 businesses to compete with more than 10,000 individuals logging trips. Every year the Challenge introduces first-time bike commuters to the fun, health, safety, and environmental benefits of commuting by bike.

Workplaces compete in the Bike Commute Challenge in size and type categories and win based on the percentage of trips made by bike. Individual participants can also win awards based on number of trips and mileage and can qualify for prize drawings, discounts at bike shops, and admission to the after-party in Portland in October. Anyone in Oregon and SW Washington can register to compete at www.bikecommutechallenge.com

The Bike Commute Challenge receives support from many Oregon and Washington businesses with major support coming from Metro, ODOT, and OHSU.

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is a statewide non-profit organization that works to open minds and roads to bicycling. We represent bicyclists and the bicycle industry with over 5000 members in Oregon and SW Washington, and have seventeen years of experience in bicycling engineering, planning, education and advocacy.