WasteCap Nebraska

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 at 10:57 am

Lincoln Riding High in National Bicycling Challenge May 1 – August 31

LINCOLN, NEBR – In its first year, the Lincoln Bicycle Commuter Challenge is a local effort organized under the national Get Up & Ride National Bike Challenge to encourage people to bike more for transportation and recreation.  Riders can register and begin tallying miles at any time during the Challenge, May 1 through August 31.  Free and open to all ages, participants register and enter miles through the national web site, http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national.  Both Lincoln and national challenges will award prizes during and at the end of the Challenge. Plans are underway for a Lincoln Commuter Challenge post-Challenge celebration in September.

Currently 6^th in the country out of 593 communities, Lincoln is already showing it can more than hold its own with nationally recognized bicycle friendly communities such as Madison, WI, Minneapolis, MN, and Portland, OR.  The Lincoln Bicycle Commuter Challenge has 396 registered riders as of Friday, May 4 and they have accumulated just over 5,200 miles in 4 days.   Three Lincoln riders are in the top 200 nationally and local businesses such as the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 42, Cycle Works, and LiCor Industries all rate in the top 50 out of more than 1,729 teams and more than 6,000 workplaces.

Riders may participate as individuals or as part of a 10-person team.  Businesses can enter as many 10-person teams as they need to have employees participate.  The national goal is to get 50,000 people to accumulate 10 million miles of bicycling in 4 months.  At the end of the first week of the Challenge, there were 17,292 people registered and over 192,000 miles recorded.  There are riders from all 50 states and the District of Columbia participating. Nebraska is 3^rd overall in the state race.  Omaha-Council Bluffs, Kearney, Fremont, Hastings, and South Sioux City, NE-Sioux City IA are competing.  Omaha currently is 16^th in the nation.

The Lincoln Commuter Challenge is being organized by representatives from Lincoln’s bicycle community, supported by the Mayor’s office, WasteCap Nebraska, the Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department, BicycLincoln, WorkWell, and Lincoln Parks and Recreation.  If your business is interested in contributing to the promotion of the Challenge or supporting the celebration, please contact Damon Hershey at damon@cycleworksusa.com or call Mike Heyl at 402-441-3889.