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    1. Bus

    Announcing the Winners of the 2015 Commuter Challenge

    June 8, 2015
    Related To: Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) (AAATA)

    Nearly 250 Ann Arbor Area organizations and 2,184 employees walked, biked, bused, carpooled and vanpooled their way to work as part of the 2015 Commuter Challenge.

    While many organizations participated, only a few were good enough to take home the grand prize.

    The getDowntown Program and TheRide are proud to announce the winners of the 2015 Commuter Challenge.  These organizations got the highest alternative commuting participation in their size category.  If there was a tie in the size category, the winner was determined by most average commutes per employee.

    Not surprisingly, most Commuter Challenge winners were either organizations in or near downtown Ann Arbor.

    2015 Commuter Challenge Winners

    • Extra Small (2-20 employees): Ghostly International (100 percent participation, 48 avg trips/employee)
    • Small (21-50 employees): Bivouac (100 percent participation, 22.4 avg trips/employee).
    • Medium (51-100 employees): SmithGroupJJR (68.3 percent participation)
    • Large (101-500 employees): Arbor Research Collaborative for Health (77.7 percent participation)
    • Extra Large (500+ employees): Zingerman's Community of Businesses (12.9 percent participation).

    There were a number of companies who came in 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the Commuter Challenge.  Details on these companies can be found by clicking here.

    Does the Challenge Change Commuting Behavior?

    According to a survey of Commuter Challenge participants, the Commuter Challenge is very successful in encouraging people to try alternative commutes to get to work.  The survey found that 74% of respondents who sometimes, rarely or never used an alternative commute will increase their use of alternative commuting as a result of participating in the Commuter Challenge.

    Overall Challenge Stats

    • Participants who logged at least 1 trip: 2,184
    • Organizations participating: 244
    • Miles logged: 356,000
    • C02 avoided: 313,000 lbs
    • Trips logged: 42,000

    "We've been blown away by the amount of excitement and engagement in the Commuter Challenge this year," said Nancy Shore, TheRide's business services director.