BIKE TO WORK DAY PARTICIPANTS TAKE MORE THAN 25,000 CARS OFF THE ROAD

Denver, June 29, 2017 --

Residents in the metro area enjoyed a greener two-wheeled commute as an estimated 34,307 riders traveled 610,661 miles on Wednesday, June 28 for the region’s Bike to Work Day. The annual event, organized by the Denver Regional Council of Governments’ Way to Go program, continues to grow and is now the second-largest event of its kind in the country.

This year’s Bike to Work Day highlights include:

• Thirty-seven percent of riders were first-time participants
• 718 businesses and organizations participated in the Business Challenge
• 307 breakfast, water and evening stations
• Average one-way commute was 8.9 miles
• 265 tons of CO2 saved
• 38 million calories burned

“On Bike to Work Day we create a fun and supportive environment encouraging people to try bike commuting, many of them for the first time. This year, tens of thousands of riders experienced a healthier, happier and less costly trip, and our hope is they’ll continue to bicycle at least part of time in the future,” said Steve Erickson, communications and marketing director for the Denver Regional Council of Governments. 

This year’s event motto was “bike today for a better tomorrow,” bringing awareness to the many benefits of bike commuting. In addition to the individual health benefits and cost savings, a collective shift from cars to bikes results in reduced traffic congestion and improved air quality. Moreover, increasing participation numbers help DRCOG demonstrate growing support for biking, bolstering efforts to improve needed infrastructure such as bike paths, trails and lanes.  

Biking is now the fastest growing mode of transportation in the region. In a 2016 Bike to Work Day follow-up survey, 38 percent of participants reported continuing to bike for commutes and other trips after the event. 

Bike to Work Day is an annual event of Denver Regional Council of Governments’ Way to Go program. In partnership with seven transportation demand management associations, Way to Go promotes commute choices other than driving alone to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. In addition to biking, Way to Go helps commuters consider carpooling, vanpooling, transit and walking. An innovative online platform, MyWaytoGo.org, offers commuters a secure site for trip planning and tracking.

The Denver Regional Council of Governments is a planning organization where local governments collaborate to establish guidelines, set policy and allocate funding in the areas of transportation and personal mobility, growth and development, and aging and disability resources.

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ac7f273a-ed5c-4b7d-ab1d-057d9b9885f0

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/c0472843-2b22-4107-bd76-14dc5173c299

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33e0292e-5e36-461b-9f59-9e123b3e89de

Winna MacLaren
Denver Regional Council of Governments
303-480-6743
[email protected]