Cyclists support health equity and set a new record for clean air savings!
Atlanta, GA (November 21, 2024) – Residents turned out in force to ride for better health, cleaner commutes and safer biking communities in the annual month-long Biketober bike challenge sponsored by Georgia Commute Options (GCO).
This year’s event saw gains for the third consecutive year as more than 2,700 participants took part in the challenge, heading out on nearly 37,000 trips and logging close to 350,000 miles. Riders also helped clear the air of 45,793 pounds of CO2 — an event record and a 35% increase over last year!
“In addition to promoting healthier communities, Biketober encourages everyone to experience the joy of bicycling anytime, anywhere. Residents can scale up their riding habits at their own pace. Those who are new to biking are urged to give it a try, while occasional riders are challenged to increase their frequency and regular riders are pushed to substitute car trips for ones that can be done by bike,” said Olivia Haas, Program/Project Coordinator for Mobility Services and Georgia Commute Options. “This year’s event also saw a significant change with over 50% of rides being taken for transportation trips, signaling increased riding confidence and biking not only for the health benefits or for fun, but as a commute replacement.”
Health equity was also a big winner as cyclists laid down tracks for bike-friendly streets and infrastructure, rating their routes in the Love to Ride app. The app is used to record bike rides and allows riders to give feedback on how safe and comfortable they feel when riding their bikes on different streets. The anonymous feedback is combined with other participants’ ratings to show which parts of the community are in greatest need of infrastructure improvements.
This year, 350 organizations took part in the challenge to improve health and the environment. Workplaces are categorized by number of employees and compete against others of a similar size. The top three local workplace finishers were Georgia Tech, Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The top three workplace finishers by size category included:
- 500-1999: Georgia Gwinnett College
- 200-499: Atlanta Regional Commission
- 50-199: Trees Atlanta.
Riders also competed for weekly giveaways, including riding gear and accessories as well as a grand prize drawing for an electric bike from Outback Bikes.
Congratulations to the two top prize winners: Alexa H. at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, who won the early registration prize drawing for a $1,000 Airbnb gift card, and Terence O. at Imperial Dade’s Atlanta Office, who was the lucky winner of the drawing for a brand-new e-bike from Outback Bikes.
The annual Biketober challenge is presented by Georgia Commute Options. Partner organizations include the American Heart Association, Atlanta BeltLine Partnership, Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia Bikes, Outback Bikes, Propel ATL, Streets Alive, and The PATH Foundation.
For media questions/bookings, contact Olivia Haas, Ohaas@AtlantaRegional.org, 470-859-7744; or Nicole Lenti, nicole.lenti@odonnellco.com, 470-648-8780.
About Georgia Commute Options
Georgia Commute Options, a program managed by the Atlanta Regional Commission and funded through the Georgia Department of Transportation, works with employers, commuters and schools to encourage drivers who ride alone to make the switch to a commute alternative such as riding transit, teleworking, carpooling, vanpooling, walking and/or biking, with the ultimate goal of reducing congestion and the emissions that contribute to smog pollution. For more information, visit www.GaCommuteOptions.com and follow Georgia Commute Options on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram. Get access to cash incentives by logging your clean commute on our website or through the Georgia Commute app, which is available for download via the App Store or Google Play.