Bike To School Challenge, Rocky River Ohio

פורסם: 3 במרץ 2014, 11:24 על ידי: Sustainability Org   [ עודכן 3 במרץ 2014, 11:24 ]
May 2013

The biggest bike-to-school program in the nation grew even bigger in 2013!

Century Cyclces Bike To School Challenge 2013

Century Cycles’ Bike to School Challenge concluded on May 24, 2013, with celebrations in Bay Village, Medina and Rocky River of the students’ record-setting bicycling accomplishments.

From May 6 through May 24, over 4,000 students at five schools took the three-week challenge. Using daily bike counts and student surveys to gauge participation, the stats are impressive. In just three weeks, the students:

  • Biked 57,627 miles – the equivalent of biking around the circumference of the Earth 2¼ times; · Took 17,573 round-trip bicycle rides to school;
  • Averaged 1,172 bicyclists to school per day, or 29% of the total enrollment of all five schools – double the national averages for bicycling or walking to school;
  • Burned 979,659 calories – or 6,997 cans of Coca-Cola;
  • Prevented 63,398 pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions from entering the environment;
  • Saved their parents $10,125.68 on gasoline, based on the current Ohio average gas price of $3.76/gallon and an average vehicle fuel economy of 21.4 MPG.
  • Participation overall was up 11% over 2012, making Bike to School Challenge’s sixth year its best year ever.
  • Bike to School Challenge students have biked 221,797 miles to school since the program began in 2008.

Almost every school in the award-winning program experienced a record year this year, but it was a standout year at Bay Middle School, which set all-new high marks in every category tracked:

  • 538 students biked each day of the challenge on average, a whopping 66% of Bay Middle’s enrollment of 820 students and up 13% over last year’s average of 474.
  • 27% of Bay Middle School Students (226 of them) biked all 15 school days of the challenge – rain or shine (or sub-freezing temperatures).
  • 634 students biked on May 8 (77% of the school), the highest ride day in the history of the challenge and coincidentally National Bike to School Day.

Sponsors Raleigh Bicycles (www.raleighamerica.com) and Century Cycles (www.centurycycles.com) awarded 16 Raleigh bicycles to students as prizes, and Raleigh gave cash awards of $3,000 to the schools and $4,000 to the cities for bicycling improvements.

“I have never seen a bike-to-school program that generates the level of participation and excitement that this one does. It is a credit to the tremendous amount of commitment and work by the schools, its local bike shop Century Cycles and the entire community to engage and inspire the students. Raleigh Bicycles is extraordinarily proud to be part of Bike to School Challenge,” said Chris Speyer, Chief Operating Officer of Accell North America.

Bicycling was a daily habit for over 10% of the participants; organizers report that 447 students biked every single day of the challenge.

"As biking in Greater Cleveland continues to grow, it is exciting to see 447 students bike to school all 15 days of Bike to School Challenge,” said Jacob VanSickle, executive director of Bike Cleveland (www.bikecleveland.org), a bicycling advocacy organization and challenge sponsor. “Bike Cleveland is proud to recognize the commitment of these students by giving them student memberships to Bike Cleveland and adding them to our powerful movement of advocating for a more bicycle friendly region."

His pride was echoed by city leaders.

“The entire community is really proud of you,” Mayor Deborah Sutherland told Bay Village students at their school-wide celebrations. “Your efforts are making Bay a hub for the bicycling community.”

Follow Bike To School Challenge on Facebook or Twitter for daily updates!

Bike To School Challenge Prose and Photography Contest Sponsored by Great Lakes Courier, Raleigh Bicycles and Century Cycles

Middle school students taking the Bike to School Challenge know that the more they bike, the more chances they have to win prizes. Now, the more they write and photograph can result in great prizes, too, thanks to the BTS Challenge Prose and Photography Contest. Click here for a contest flyer. Entries are due via email to BikeToSchool@centurycycles.com by Tuesday, May 21, 2013 at noon.

Bay Bike To School Challenge: May 6-24 at Bay High School and Bay Middle School

Medina Bike To School Challenge: May 6-24 at Claggett and Root Middle Schools

Rocky River Bike To School Challenge: May 6-23 at Rocky River Middle School

Have fun on your bicycle and be safe!

Download a flyer with safety and etiquette tips for student bicyclists: .JPG or .PDF format

Bike To School Challenge on WEWS News Channel 5 - May 6, 2013

What People Are Saying About Bike To School Challenge

2012 Rocky River Bike To School Challenge Thank You Letter"Thank you for bringing this to Medina. Both of our kids are riding and loving it more than they would have ever believed! You are making a big difference here!"
-- Medina resident Jill Garr

“Bike To School Challenge is unique and is the best of its kind in the nation. We work with over 1,400 bike stores around the country. I have never seen a bike-to-school program that generates this level of participation and excitement that this one does.”
– Chris Speyer, Executive Vice President of Raleigh Bicycles (a BTS sponsor) and president of the Bicycle Products Suppliers Association

“Your choice to ride your bike to school has made a significant difference in your health, the health of the environment, and the health of our city. For that, we thank you, we admire you, and you are inspiring our entire community.”
– Rocky River Mayor Pam Bobst, addressing Rocky River Middle School students at the school-wide awards assembly

“Kudos to Raleigh Bicycles and local dealer Century Cycles for taking the initiative with the program, and to the myriad volunteers from each school who helped make the program a success. Also, hats off to the legions of students who participated in the challenge and to their parents for their support. As a result of the challenge, the students made a positive difference in the atmosphere, in their parents’ wallets and in their waistlines. It’s a classic example of a win, win situation.”
– Editors of the West Shore Sun Newspaper

National Bike To School Day is May 8, 2013

Full bike racks at Bay Middle SchoolDay 3 of 2013 Century Cycles Bike To School Challenge will coincide with National Bike To School Day. Last year on that day, 1,114 students biked for Bike To School Challenge and we’re hoping to beat that record in 2013! In 2012, we counted 538 bikes at Bay Middle School (pictured at right; 65% of the school!), 256 bikes at Rocky River Middle School, 132 bikes at Bay High School, 124 bikes at Root Middle School, and 64 bikes at Claggett Middle School.

WHY Is It Important That Our Children Bike To School?

  • The more they burn, the better they learn: Regular physical activity can help students focus, improve behavior and boost positive attitudes. (Learn more: Burn to Learn)
     
  • Biking to school helps our children concentrate better in class: A Danish study looked at nearly 20,000 Danish kids between the ages of 5 and 10. It found that kids who cycle or walked to school, rather than by car or public transportation, performed measurably better on tasks demanding concentration, and that the effects lasted for up to four hours after they got to school. (Learn more: Atlantic Cities)
     
  • We'd breathe cleaner air: Many schools are in air pollution zones, simply due to idling car and bus traffic. If more students biked to school, the air would be cleaner and peak-hour traffic would be reduced.
     
  • In 1969, over 50% of students biked or walked to school. Today that number is less than 15% (and as little as 5% at some schools), while obesity and diabetes are at epidemic levels for our youth.
     
  • There are countless reasons! For example, 1 pound of CO2 pollution is cut for every mile pedaled, and the rates of depression and heart disease are cut in half for regular bicyclists. (See more reasons: People For Bikes)

A BTS Challenge for Grown-Ups!

Wish you could join the students in a biking challenge? Well, you CAN! Go to www.nationalbikechallenge.org to take the 2013 NATIONAL BIKE CHALLENGE on May 1 through August 31 -- it's free, fun, and for people 18 and over. When you're asked to join a team, you can create your own OR search for "Bike To School Challenge Parents and Teachers" and join with us!

Our Generous Sponsors

Joining Century Cycles and Raleigh Bicycles as Bike To School event sponsors are Subway of Rocky River (Detroit Road), Subway of Bay Village (Wolf Road), Honey Hut Ice Cream Shoppe, Bay Schools Parent Teacher Student Association, Bay Village Kiwanis, Project Earth Environmental Club, Bay Skate and Bike Park Foundation, Fuel Up To Play 60, and Rocky River Middle School PTA.

Press Releases/Event Notices

  • May 29, 2013 - Medina students biked 14,752 miles during record 2013 Medina Bike to School Challenge
  • May 28, 2013 - Northeast Ohio students biked 57,627 miles for record-setting 2013 Century Cycles’ Bike to School Challenge
  • May 24, 2013 - Bay students pedaled 28,257 miles for record 2013 Bike to School Challenge
  • May 23, 2013 - Rocky River students biked 14,618 miles in record-setting Bike to School Challenge
  • May 10, 2013 - Bike to School Challenge Concludes Record First Week; In National Spotlight for Creating “Bike-to-School Meccas”
  • May 10, 2013 - Bike to School Challenge announces new prose and photography contest for middle school students
  • May 6, 2013 - 1,183 NE Ohio Students Biked To School Today for Day One of BTS Challenge
  • May 6, 2013 - Media Alert: Bike To School begins TODAY; over 4,000 NEO students take biking challenge
  • April 25, 2013 - Bay Bike To School Challenge Scholarship Announced
  • April 16, 2013 - Northeast Ohio bicycle fairs will help residents get ready to ride to
    school, work or just for fun
  • April 16, 2013 - Rocky River Bicycle Fair on May 2
  • April 16, 2013 - Bay Village Bicycle Fair on May 1
  • April 16, 2013 - Medina Bicycle Fair on April 30
  • May 30, 2012 - Northeast Ohio students biked 52,084 miles for 2012 Bike To School Challenge

BTS T-Shirt Design Contest Winners

Each year of the Bike To School Challenge, the students have held a design contest, with the winning designs used for the official t-shirts of the event.

Bay Village (front)
Bay Bike To School Challenge T-shirt 2013 Winner
by Cameron Meakins		 Bay Village (back)
Bay Bike To School Challenge T-shirt 2013 (back)
Medina (front)
Medina Bike To School Challenge T-shirt 2013 Winner
by Devon Unwin		 Medina (back)
Medina Bike To School Challenge T-shirt 2013 (back)
Rocky River (front)
Rocky River Bike To School Challenge T-shirt 2013 Winner
by Jillian Kinsley		 Rocky River (back)
Rocky River Bike To School Challenge T-shirt 2013 (back)

Click here to see the winners of previous years' design contests.

Media Contact

Scott Cowan, Owner, Century Cycles
Phone: 440-356-5705 (office); 330-730-9928 (mobile)
Email: scott@centurycycles.com

Press Coverage of Bike To School Challenge

Bike To School Challenge's Origins

The Bike To School idea started at Bay High School in 2007 when a group of students organized their own "car boycott" to protest high gasoline prices. In 2008, Century Cycles and other sponsors helped turn the event into a month-long contest, inspiring many school faculty and staff, in addition to students, to participate.

Building on the success of Bay High Bike to School Month in 2008, the program continued in 2009 and 2010 as the Bay Bike to School Challenge Sponsored by Century Cycles and Chipotle, expanded to include both Bay High School and Bay Middle School. The event also included a Bicycle Safety Fair that was open to all members of the community.

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