DOINews: All DOI Employees: Federal Bike Challenge - May 2015

Edited July 12, 2015, to amend an aged hyperlink.

May 4, 2015

To: All Employees

From: Kristen J. Sarri, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Policy, Management and Budget

Subject: Federal Bike Challenge — May 2015

May is National Bike Month, and the Department of the Interior is again joining communities and organizations across the nation to support bicycling as a way to commute to and from work. Bicycling benefits our health, reduces traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with automobile use. Many Department employees already bicycle to work, and May is the month to show your support and use of bikes.

For over 10 years, the Department's staff has participated locally in popular bicycle commute challenges. These challenges provide a friendly competition to expand bicycling as a method of commuting, and to document support for biking and the need for secure bicycle facilities at offices. Now there is an annual nationwide bike commute challenge for federal workers, and the Department is encouraging staff to join in the challenge.

The Federal Bike Challenge (formerly called the Bike-to-Work Challenge) started in the Pacific Northwest and has grown to a nationwide challenge with over 2,100 riders representing 37 agencies. Last year, 890 DOI riders logged over 8,600 trips and 92,000 miles in the Challenge, saving the equivalent of over 3,600 gallons of gasoline. Organizers of the Federal Bike Challenge recognized the Department for having the Best Team Captain, Most Enthusiastic New Commuter, Most Improved Commute Facilities, and Highest Team Commute in their 2014 newsletter. For the May 2015 Challenge, let's show the Department's commitment to sustainable commuting practices.

Participation is easy. Employees can conveniently log their bicycle commutes on a website. The website tabulates the number of commutes by bicycle, percent of possible commutes, and total miles bicycled for each participant, team of participants, bureau, the Department and the Federal Government. I invite you to visit the Greening the Department of the Interior website at http://www.doi.gov/greening/, where you will find more information on the Federal Bike Challenge and how to participate in the Challenge.

Thank you for your continued efforts to conserve precious resources, minimize our carbon footprint, and encourage an active lifestyle. The Department led the Federal Government in number of riders last year; let's see if we can do even better this year.