766 people participate in Madison's 3rd Annual 2-Week Car-Free Challenge
(September 22 – October 5, 2005)
Total vehicle miles reduced: 52,191 miles or 2.1 times around the Earth!
Together they effectively removed 136 cars from the road (driven 10,000 miles per year). Every 6 car-free challengers removed 1 car. They saved 2,088 gallons of gasoline and $6,263 in two weeks. If participants kept up this behavior for a year, they would save 54,279 gallons of gasoline. Each participant would save $213.
They reduced 41,753 pounds (21 tons) of carbon dioxide emissions the equivalent of planting 21 trees in two weeks. If participants kept up this behavior for a year, together they would reduce: 543 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
They reduced 188 pounds of nitrous oxides (NOx) and 120 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the precursors to ground-level ozone.
Total miles bicycled: 13,001The extra miles biking and walking add up to 100 extra calories burned per person per day, the equivalent of jogging a mile a day!
Total miles walked: 1,359
Total miles bussed: 10,402
Total miles carpooled: 27,872
Madisonian Pam Schwarzbach dropped in the Coffeehouse and we started talking cycling...
"50% of kids used to ride bikes to school, now it's down to only 2%, but don't quote me on those figures..." says Pam. "There's grant money available to get kids back on bikes by developing safe routes to schools."
"A generation ago, most schoolchildren walked or biked to school, while today fewer than one-third of those who live within a mile of school arrive on foot or bike," said Lee Kokinakis, director of Michigan's Active School Environments for the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness. Over 200 elementary schools in Michigan recently promoted a Walk to School Day.
Brits pointing the way: Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, works on practical projects to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport for health, safety and environmental reasons. Our aim is to create a Safe Route to School for every child in the UK.
The Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign is an awards program that recognizes municipalities that actively support bicycling. A Bicycle-Friendly Community provides safe accommodation for cycling and encourages its residents to bike for transportation and recreation.
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