DOINews: All DOI Employees: Interior Excels in the 2014 Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge

November 5, 2014

To: All DOI Employees

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

Subject: Interior Excels in the 2014 Federal Bike-to-Work Challenge

This May, the Department of the Interior (Department) joined with other Federal agencies to participate in the nationwide Federal Bike-To-Work Challenge to promote environmental sustainability and personal health. We recently received these results and wanted to share them with you.

The number of Department bicyclists this year increased from 826 riders in 2013 to 890 riders in 2014. The Federal Bike-To-Work Challenge is an annual challenge that serves as a friendly competition to expand bicycling as a method of commuting. Riders participate as part of a team or as individuals and log their bicycle commutes on a website throughout the month. Riders from all across the United States and from almost all departmental bureaus participated in this challenge. Of the 890 Department riders, 789 were on 146 teams and 101 rode as individuals. All together, our employees bicycled 92,123 miles, burning a total of 4,514,028 calories along the way. In total, their efforts prevented 90,281 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions. Across the Federal Government, over 2,170 employees participated in the Challenge.

Within the Department, certain individuals and teams made especially noteworthy accomplishments. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah State Office made the most bicycle trips with 185.5 trips and achieved a commute rate of 95.3 percent. As an individual, Jen Medl from Rolling Thunder, BLM, made the most trips for a new bicycle commuter with 22.5 trips. Out of all the riders in the Department, Cameron Sanders, Anchorage Alaska Public Lands Information Center, National Park Service, made the most number of trips with 31 trips. There were 86 individuals who commuted 100 percent of their trips in the month of May, and 7 of them bicycled 22 or more trips.

Additional information on the Challenge and specific bureau level results are available at: http://www.doi.gov/greening/transportation/upload/DOI_results_bureau.pdf. This May, our bicyclists showed the Department's commitment to sustainable commuting practices and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Thank you for your continued efforts to conserve precious resources, minimize our carbon footprint and encourage healthy lifestyles. I look forward to even greater participation in this Challenge next May.