Released: July 8, 2010

Contact: Margo O’Hara
312.427.3325 x224
312.282.5088 mobile
margo@activetrans.org

CHICAGOLAND BUSINESSES DOMINATE THE BIKE COMMUTE
Bike to Work Week Winners Include Underdogs, Some Surprises

Winners announced today from the Bike to Work Week competition highlight the explosion of bicycle commuters in Chicagoland.

This year’s Bike to Work Week saw major upsets in the Public Agency, Non-Profit and Business categories.

Rising to the occasion were the likes of the Village of Arlington Heights (who bumped Sen. Richard Durbin’s Office out of the running), The Burke Group (who knocked Trader Joe’s Lincoln Grace top standing) and The Old Town School of Folk Music (who pedaled right by Chicago Public Radio). The complete list of winners is below.

More businesses than ever competed for the Bike to Work Week title. Employees from 478 companies – up from last year’s 322 – pedaled their way to work during Bike to Work Week in June.

“We saw yet again this year that companies are ready to throw down the gauntlet and fight for the title of Bike to Work Week victor,” said Melody Geraci, interim executive director of the Active Transportation Alliance. “Bike commuting is taking off in offices around the region. There are no two ways about it – Chicagoland’s workforce is getting healthier and happier by biking to work.”

Offices tracked participation based on the number of employees who took at least one partial or complete trip to work by bike. Teams competed in categories based on their staff size and type of business.

The annual Bike to Work Week competition is part of a weeklong biking celebration hosted by the Active Transportation Alliance, Chicagoland’s voice for better biking, walking and transit. The competition is free and open to any Chicagoland business, school, organization or company. Other events during the week included Bike Away from Work parties and a Bike to Work Day Rally. The organization also hosted Bike Commuter Stations on popular bike routes and at suburban Metra stations.

And the Bike to Work Week winners are…

Public Agency

500+ employees: City of Chicago Department of Transportation
100-499: City of Chicago Department of Environment
25-99: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
5 to 24: Village of Arlington Heights

Business

500+: Orbitz Worldwide
100-499: The Burke Group
25-99: Webb deVlam

Non-profit

500+: The Field Museum
100-499: Old Town School of Folk Music
25-99: Center for Neighborhood Technology
<5: Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art

K-12 School

500+: Chicago Public Schools
100-499: Benito Juarez High School
25-99: Chicago Math and Science Academy
5-24: Chicago Jesuit Academy
<5: Digital Buddha Design

College/University

500+: Moody Bible Institute (Facilities)
100-499: Northwestern University Library
25-99: Kaplan University (Department of Registrar)
5 to 24: University of Illinois at Chicago (Office of Sustainability)

Bicycle-related Business

25-99: REI Lincoln Park

Other

500+ Draftfcb
100-499: Upshot (Environment)
25-99: Grubhub.com
5-24: Slover Linett Strategies (Human Resources)

Bike to Work Week is sponsored by Goose Island Brewery, Fisher Nuts, The Burke Group, Caribou Coffee, CTA, Clif 2Mile Challenge, County of DuPage, SRAM, Village Cycle Center and ING Direct.

The Active Transportation Alliance is a non-profit, member-based advocacy organization that works to make bicycling, walking and public transit so safe, convenient and fun that we will achieve a significant shift from environmentally harmful, sedentary travel to clean, active travel. The organization builds a movement around active transportation, encourages physical activity, increases safety and builds a world-class transportation network. Formerly the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation, the Active Transportation Alliance is North America’s largest transportation advocacy organization, supported by more than 6,000 members, 1,000 volunteers and 35 full-time staff. For more information about the Active Transportation Alliance, visit www.activetrans.org or call 312.427.3325.

###