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Northwestern Bike Commuters Score a Victory

Each June Northwestern competes in the Bike Commuter Challenge organized by the Active Transportation Alliance. The event engages Chicago-area workplaces in a friendly competition to commute to work by bike. It is intended to encourage cycling as a healthy and environmentally friendly transportation option. This year Northwestern won in its category of educational institutions with 5,000 or more employees, claiming victory over our competitor, the University of Illinois at Chicago, for the greatest percentage of employees who logged rides during the competition.

Northwestern participants logged nearly 1,200 bike trips covering more than 7,000 miles – more rides and miles than any of the 268 teams that competed in this year’s event. Together all participating teams logged more nearly 17,000 rides for a total of more than 96,800 miles biked.

During the event, Northwestern celebrated with a free bike tune-up station and social gatherings for cyclists.

Staff member Elizabeth Adamczyk chairs the Northwestern Cycling Committee, a group that works to encourage bike commuting in the University community on both the Evanston and Chicago campuses. She has served as Northwestern’s team leader in the Bike Commuter Challenge since Northwestern first began participating.

“It’s a fun event and a team-oriented way to get both experienced bike commuters and new riders out on their bikes,” she said. “We’re excited about winning the challenge again this year, and we hope more people will continue commuting by bike throughout the year and participate next year, too.”

Thank you to everyone who participated in the event. Visit the “Travel Sustainably” section of the Office of Sustainability website to find resources for cyclists and more on environmentally friendly transportation options on and around campus.