Austin Commuter Challenge

Bicycle Sport Shop presents

Austin Commuter Challenge Goals:

Create a benchmarking tool for the City of Austin that will track the success of Public Works promotions and initiatives.

Use Google maps to promote bus and rail use in conjunction with the bike.

Use Map My Ride to capture participant commuter routes, allowing the City to forecast infrastructure needs.

Partner with local Businesses and Corporations, Public Works, Cap Metro and The Mayor’s Fitness Council in order to promote the initiative to Austin and the surrounding area.

Encourage new and aspiring commuters to start riding .

Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Austin Commuter Challenge Goal: Create a benchmarking tool for the City of Austin that will track the success of Public Works promotions and initiatives. The Austin Commuter Challenge will use greenlight’s innovative commuter competition website to capture participant data for benchmarking. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Greenlight Dashboard allows participants to: View Trips and Miles Ridden Record Rides Save favorite commutes Tag a Trip

Austin Commuter Challenge Goal: Create a benchmarking tool for the City of Austin that will track successes regarding infrastructure changes, promotions and initiatives as they relate to public transportation. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Benefit :

At the end of the challenge we will be able to add, individually and as a whole, savings in the following areas.

Pounds of Carbon Reduction

Number of Calories Burned

Money Saved on Gas

Goal: Use Google maps to promote public transit in conjunction with the bike.

Benefit: Encourages the use of public transportation, reducing congestion on our highway s and city streets. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Goal: Use Map My Ride in conjunction with participant GPS data to capture commuter routes. Presenting the ability to forecast infrastructure needs.

Goal: Use Map My Ride in conjunction with participant GPS data to capture commuter routes. Presenting the ability to forecast infrastructure needs.

New York City’s Mapped Bike Paths in Google Participants will submit their routes to Bicycle Sport Shop via Map My Ride. Map My Ride will aggregate that data and present it in a single map format. Benefit: The opportunity to see what infrastructure cyclists currently use and the ability to plan for the future. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Goal: Partner with local Businesses and Corporations, Public Works, Cap Metro and The Mayoral Fitness Council in order to promote the initiative to Austin and the surrounding area.

Goal: Encourage new and aspiring commuters to start riding.

What is the definition of a new and aspiring cyclists? What are their needs? How will the commuter challenge address the unmet needs of new, aspiring and potential cyclists? Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop POTENTIAL BIKE COMMUTER HAS CONSIDERED BIKE COMMUTING HAS TRIED BIKE COMMUTING Regular/semi-regular bike commuters New bike commuters Aspiring bike commuters Potential bike commuters Defined as people who have commuted regularly or semi-regularly (at least once a month) in the past, this target group faces a series of deterrents that make cycling less appealing (i.e. rough roads, fear of getting doored). These issues are often the focus of current initiatives such as infrastructure improvements and safety enhancements. Defined as Chicagoans who have just started bike commuting or have tried it once. This group still faces a number of deterrents, mainly from not feeling comfortable or safe on the road and/or not knowing tips and tricks to riding that would make their ride easier (i.e. panniers, fenders). Not having tried bike commuting, but having considered it, possibly through the recommendation or suggestion of a friend, this group faces a number of barriers to taking their first ride, the most common being to overcome perceived danger of riding on the roads. In addition, aspiring cyclists may not own a bike or know the appropriate gear/security equipment necessary to ride in Austin. Anyone capable of riding a bike is a potential bike commuter. This group faces the largest barrier to modeshift, which is acknowledging bicycling as a form of transportation and recognizing its utilitarian benefits and viability.

Current solutions tend to focus on the community (i.e. infrastructure improvements, safety enhancements) and hope that the individual will join in. We also focus on promoting the benefits of cycling and enhancing the city’s infrastructure to allow for a safer, more bike-friendly community. Such initiatives work well in encouraging current cyclists to ride more, but seldom address the lack of knowledge/know-how and perceived value gaps that new and aspiring cyclists face. The Austin Commuter Challenge will do this by addressing the social and emotional barriers to cycling while leveraging opportunities for cyclists to identify with other cyclists and the ideals of riding. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Recognize utility Feel socially comfortable Feel physically comfortable Feel safe on the road Connect to personal values Enablers Motivators Barriers Deterrents

The needs of new, aspiring and potential bike commuters span emotional, social, cognitive and physical factors.

Need to recognize utility of biking.

2. Need to feel physically

comfortable on the road.

3. Need to feel safe on the road.

4. Need to feel social comfortable as a cyclist.

5. Need to connect bike commuting to personal

values

convenience cost Enjoy riding privacy Identifies with bike community Don’t like driving/traffic Reduces smog Experience outdoors, community Sustainability, global warming Well-being health, personal fitness pride in beating cars at traffic lights no place to park at destination fastest way game of maneuvering through traffic fear of bike theft no convenient, safe storage need vehicle for work/school hassle of changing/ cleaning up bike needs repair/ maintenance weather not confident riding in traffic feels “in the way” of traffic companion preferred embarrassed to not know rules, routes intimidated by other cyclists employer does not support/encourage too much to carry fear of getting doored personal safety companion does not have bike driver aggression Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Recognize utility Proactively find and inform potential cyclists of the benefits of cycling Convince them it is fast and safe Ease monetary barrier Feel socially comfortable Make them feel welcome Engage corporate partners and communities Provide new & potential cyclists with an opportunity to interact Feel physically comfortable Education regarding gear and apparel Education regarding rules and riding tips Feel safe on the road Ease new cyclists into the habit of street riding Promote the use of city bike map, map my ride, etc. Connect to personal values Political, sustainability, health, well-being A connection to cyclists w/ similar ideals The Austin Commuter Challenge in conjunction with Bicycle Sport Shop and it’s partners will focus on spread of “know-how”, making new cyclists feel welcome, connecting cycling to personal values and helping inexperienced riders overcome false perceptions of danger, inconvenience, and discomfort. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

Austin Commuter Challenge Popular social media sites like Facebook , Ning and twitter will allow us to connect with participants, educate them and connect them with other cyclists. Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop

MAY 4 th – MAY 31 ST : COMMITTED COMMUTERS LEAGUE

up to 10 team members per team

MAY 11 TH – MAY 17 TH : FRIENDS AND FAMILY LEAGUE

up to 5 team members per team

TIMING:

JUNE 6 th : CELEBRATION AT BICYCLE SPORT SHOP INCLUDING AWARDS CEREMONY, FOOD AND DRINKS, LIVE MUSIC, PRIZE RAFFLE, SPEAKER OPPORTUNITIES FOR CITY COUNCIL AND MAYOR

NOW: CORPORATE REGISTRATION AND SPONSOR RECRUITMENT

Austin Commuter Challenge A Greener Healthier Austin Please contact us for more information Chris Carter - Chris_C@BicycleSportShop.com Marketing/Promotions Manager or Leslie Luciano - Leslie_L@BicycleSportShop.com Community Relations Manager Presented by: Bicycle Sport Shop