Cool Commutes Competition
May 2007 Newsletter

The Silicon Valley Leadership proudly presents the first of our monthly Cool Commutes Newsletters!  Each month’s edition will include information about alternative commute options and will highlight a Silicon Valley employer’s alternative commute program.  We hope you will find the information helpful as your company or organization competes in the Cool Commutes Competition.

As a reminder, if you haven’t yet sent us your benchmark results for the competition, please email them to transportation@svlg.net.  We are gathering information on the number employees that use alternative commutes, how many times a week they use them, and how many miles they travel in their commute.

This month’s newsletter focuses on biking to work in light of National Bike-To-Work-Day on May 17th.

In this issue:
Bike to Work Day
CEO/Celebrity Cycle-to-Work-Challenge Info
How to Get Started Cool Commuting
Cool Commuter of the Month: Juniper Networks

Bike to Work Day
The Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition (SVBC) is bringing National Bike-To-Work-Day to Silicon Valley on Thursday, May 17th, encouraging commuters to leave their cars at the curb and cycle to work. 

As greenhouse gas emissions increase and their effects become more visible, the importance of restricting individual carbon emissions is critical.  Almost forty percent of Bay Area commuters live within five miles of their workplace, a distance considered ideal for bicycle commuting.  And if every one of those commuters took two wheels to work instead of four on Bike-To-Work-Day, more than 60,000 vehicles would be off the road, reducing tailpipe emissions by 150,000 pounds.  In addition, studies have shown that many Bike-To-Work-Day participants continue to cycle to the office at least one day a week; instead of burning gas, they’re burning calories.

As greenhouse gas emissions increase and their effects become more visible, the importance of restricting individual carbon emissions is critical. Almost forty percent of Bay Area commuters live within five miles of their workplace, a distance considered ideal for bicycle commuting. And if every one of those commuters took two wheels to work instead of four on Bike-To-Work-Day, more than 60,000 vehicles would be off the road, reducing tailpipe emissions by 150,000 pounds. In addition, studies have shown that three out of every ten Bike-To-Work-Day participants continue to cycle to the office at least one day a week; instead of burning gas, they’re burning calories.

SVBC will be setting up fifty “Energizer Stations” across Santa Clara County (locations can be found here, providing refreshments, give-aways, encouragement, and for those that register with 511.org or at any “Energizer Station,” a grand prize. Riders can also take the Team Bike Challenge by putting together a group five individuals, coming up with a creative name for their team, registering, and logging the days they bicycle on a personalized calendar at the website above.

But the fun of Bike-To-Work-Day isn’t a one-way trip. Join the Party at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition’s “Bike Away From Work” Bash from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Downtown San Jose. You don’t want to miss the food, fun, an auction, great prizes, and the opportunity to hang out with all of your fellow cycling commuters.

To volunteer for this or any other SVBC event - email fun@svbcbikes.org

photo by Steve Castillo

CEO/Celebrity Cycle-to-Work-Challenge Info
Executives and elected officials throughout the region – 46 to date – have taken the Leadership Group up on its challenge.

One examplarly CEO is Mattson Technology’s, Dave Dutton.  Dave has a 60-mile commute from the Central Valley to the Silicon Valley but he’s still taking part.  He’ll use the ACE train to get within ten miles of Mattson and will then pedal the rest of the way.

Doug Merritt of SAP also deserves mention for his effort. Though he will be in Germany on May 17, National Bike-To-Work-Day, the geographical divide won’t stop him or his employees from participating.  He’s encouraging his employees to cycle to work while he does the same all the way over in Germany and then join him afterwards for some coffee and bagels utilizing the latest video-conferencing equipment; turning this national event into an international event.

Still, the public sector isn’t about to be outdone by the private sector on Bike to Work Day! San Jose City Council Members Sam Liccardo and Pete Constant will be biking to City Hall and holding “Celebration Station” in the 18th Floor Conference Room for all participating staff.

It looks like it’s going to be tough competition!

How to Get Started Cool Commuting
To help your employees get started with their cycling commute, 511.org offers an online BikeMapper [http://bikemapper.mtc.ca.gov/BikeMapper/index.jsp] that plans a safe bike route from to destinations the user provides, most likely the home address and the office address; making cycling to work easy and safe. VTA also offers an interactive map of bike routes, powered by Google Maps, that can be used to find routes to almost anywhere in Santa Clara County.

There are also a few small steps the employer can take to make biking to work convenient and desirable. First, is to install new bike racks. Peak Racks [http://www.peakracks.com/index.htm] offers a program to get free racks for communities and universities, or move current bike racks/lockers to the front of the parking lot so cycling commuters get the best spots in the house.

Most bike commutes don’t get the commuter really sweaty, but having on-site showers just in case is a great way to accommodate those who want to freshen up after they cycle to work.

Employers can also set up bike pools, using employees who already bike to work as role models and mentors, and even set up a company bicycle club or race team to help create a cycling culture at the office. Even bike races at lunch will generate interest in biking and promote employee fitness and well-being.

Also, some employers allow bike commuters to dress more casually at the office. Offering catered lunches on a periodic basis for those that cycle is a great way to show that cycling to work is important and valuable to the organization.

Another special motivation tool is leading by example: encourage your CEO to join our CEO/Celebrity Challenge [link to our webpage anchored at CEO/Celeb challenge] (click the link to see how other execs are leading the Bike-To-Work Day or download the example flyer above to see how execs are using themselves as motivation).

Finally, regular reminders and encouragement through newsletters and e-mail is always a valuable tool to boost participation and convey importance.

If you’re extra excited for Bike-To-Work-Day, then you can celebrate the entire month; here are some pointers.

Also, check these websites out for more ideas or to pass along to employees:
Bay Area Bikes
SF Bike
League of American Bicyclists

Cool Commuter of the Month: Juniper Networks
One employer that recognizes everyday as Bike-To-Work-Day is Juniper Networks.  Their alternative commute program is one of the top in the Bay Area.  Juniper provides so many incentives for their employees to use alternative commute practices it’s a wonder why they still have use for a parking lot at all!  With bike racks at every building, bike lockers at the main building, and three onsite private showers, and showers in the onsite gym, it seems that biking to the Juniper campus doesn’t have many cons.  Juniper also provides an emergency ride home program through their subscription to VTA’s Eco Pass.  And if that wasn’t enough, Juniper has a bike to work rewards program that offers a twenty dollar spending card for every ten bike commutes (with a maximum of forty dollars in any given week) which can be used at the campus café.  Biking employees save money on both lunch and commute costs!

We are not the first to recognize Juniper’s stellar program. Juniper was named by the US Environmental Protection Agency as a “Best Workplace For Commuters” and has also been recognized as a Bay Area “Spare the Air Employer.”

For questions about the program or to talk about how the program works in practice, contact Malys Neang at malys@juniper.net.