Commuter Challenge Winners Announced

800 Durango business employees celebrate Clean Commute Week

Durango, CO – The 6th Annual Trails 2000 Commuter Challenge winners were announced Friday night at Carver Brewing Company. Trails 2000 partners with the City of Durango on Clean Commute Week to encourage corporate participation in the week’s events. Clean Commute Week is an effort by the City of Durango to encourage a shift in the way our citizens think about transportation. The goal is to promote the use of alternative modes of transportation to benefit people’s health, the health of our community and the environment.

Participation in the Commuter Challenge increased again, with over 800 employees participating, an increase of 30% from 2011. Mary Oswald, head of Bicycle Friendly Durango hosted the awards ceremony, which included a special video presentation by the president of the League of American Bicyclists, Andy Clarke.

Challenge scores were based on percentage of participation, and included four categories: extra small companies (under 12); small companies (under 25); medium companies (26-199) and large companies (200 plus).

To ramp up the competition, a bonus round was added allowing companies that logged participation days on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday in addition to Clean Commuter Day on Wednesday, June 20 to receive bonus points.

In the extra-small company category, Columbine Landscaping won the award. The all women company has an average bike to work rate of 75% participation every day.

Russell Engineering won the award in the small business size nudging out Goff Engineering,

In the medium size category, first time participants at Stone Age Tools took first place. Their commute had the added challenge of the hill climb at the Animas Air Park.

In the large size category, Mercury Payment Systems was the winner with over 100 bonus points. The City of Durango came in 2nd place logging over 3,912 miles by bike, walk, bus or carpool.

The workplace coordinators for the Clean Commute Challenge organized employees and inspired local businesses to compete. The top awards incorporated pedal and thrift store shoe mounted onto a piece of wood built by Jake Walsh, owner of Durango Home Solutions in Durango.

Trails 2000 is a 501c3 based in Durango that plans, builds and maintains trails; educates trail users and encourages connectivity on road, path and trail. Durango was awarded a Gold level designation as a Bicycle Friendly Community and chosen to host the overall start of the US Pro Cycling Challenge on August 20, 2012. Follow us on Facebook and find us at trails2000.org.