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Bike to Work Week exceeds expectations

Jeremy Evans

As the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition found out this week, the only thing better than reaching a goal is surpassing it.

The citizen’s advocacy group, which is largely responsible for organizing Bike to Work Week, said its goal for 2008 was to reach the 14,000-mile mark, more than double the mileage from the previous year.

Mission accomplished.



A registered 464 cyclists logged 15,551 miles from May 12-16, bringing smiles to the faces of Tahoe’s cycling enthusiasts.

“We exceeded our mileage goal by over 1,500 miles, and kept the equivalent of 14,000 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” said Karen Fink, transportation planner for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “Everybody really liked it, and I think it helped bring the event to the front of people’s consciousness, which is what we were hoping for.”



The third annual Bike to Work Week was held in conjunction with National Bike to Work Month (May), which was established 50 years ago by the League of American Cyclists.

In 2007, Bike to Work Week attracted 255 local cyclists who logged 6,890 miles during the five-day work week, keeping 6,300 pounds of carbon dioxide out of Lake Tahoe’s skies.

The most active company, percentage-wise, was the Nevada Tahoe Conservation District/Nichols Consulting, which reported that all 13 employees participated every day last week. The TRPA won the total mileage award, logging 1,477 miles, about twice as many than the next company.

South Tahoe Refuse, which said that 30 of its workers participated at least one day and logged a total of 420 miles, had an extra incentive for its employees.

It raffled off two mountain bikes on Friday, and gave each employee one ticket for each day it rode to work. Steve Brandsgard and Gilberto Castillo were this year’s winners.

“Hopefully this will get people motivated to use alternate ways of transportation that are not only healthy for them but also good for the environment,” said South Tahoe Refuse’s Tracy Ruger.

Bike to Work Awards Party

When: Thursday, 5:45-6:30 p.m.

Where: Regan Beach, South Lake Tahoe

Special Guest: South Lake Tahoe’s Rick Gunn, who recently completed a 34-month bicycle trip around the world

Bike to Work Week Stats

Daily Breakdown

Monday: 3,058

Tuesday: 3,680

Wednesday: 3,395

Thursday: 2,959

Friday: 2,459

Total: 15,551

Number of riders reporting miles for at least one day: 464

TEAM STATS

Most Trips/Employee

Nevada Tahoe Conservation District/Nichols Consulting (Stateline): 12.8 trips/employee (13 out of 13 riding)

Sierra Nevada Alliance (South Lake Tahoe): 9.7 trips/employee (8 out of 12)

Design Workshop (Stateline): 8.8 trips/employee (9 out of 12)

Most Total Miles

TRPA (Stateline): 1,477 miles

CTC/TBI (South Lake Tahoe): 847 miles

Heavenly Mountain Resort (Stateline): 738 miles

Integrated Environmental Restoration Services (North Shore): 696 miles

Most Miles Per Employee

Nevada Tahoe Conservation District/Nichols Consulting (Stateline): 55 miles/employee

Integrated Environmental Restoration Services (Tahoe City): 46 miles/employee

Design Workshop (Stateline): 42 miles/employee

Most Feet of Climbing (approx.)

TRPA: 45,800 feet

City of South Lake Tahoe: 34,400

Design Workshop: 29,000

Highest Percentage of Employees Riding

Nevada Tahoe Conservation District/Nichols Consulting (Stateline): 100% (13/13)

Design Workshop (Stateline): 75% (9/12)

Team Tahoe City: 71% (10/14)

INDIVIDUAL STATS

Most Rides

Tina Dressler (St. Theresa School Bikers): 58 trips

Cynthia Gillis (City of South Lake Tahoe): 29 trips

Robert Erlich (City of South Lake Tahoe): 25 trips

Adrian Tieslau (Individual): 24 trips

Nanc Wells (Individual): 23 trips

Bryan Timonere (IVGID): 22 trips

Most Miles

Heather Segale (UCD TERC): 227

Stan Hill (City of SLT): 225

Andy Coughlin (Olympic Bike Shop): 204

Francis Dixon (Individual): 136

Will Stelter (Team Tahoe City): 135

Most Feet of Climbing (approx.)

Stan Hill (City of SLT): 21,805 feet

Heather Segale (UCD TERC): 9,600 feet

Mary Bennington (Sierra Nevada Alliance): 8,040


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