Free stuff rules! Sponsoring events and programs that encourage human-powered transportation are a priority at NSB, especially when we get invited to celebrate the event with a pizza party!
The Bike to PSU Challenge was a month long effort to get more Portland State University staff, students and faculty commuting by bike.
Additionally, I'm a part-time-returning-non-traditional-adult-undergraduate student at PSU. If you get the chance to stop by the beautiful campus, check out the PSU Bike Hub. Dan, the lead mechanic, is from the same central Illinois hometown. Not only that, he worked at the shop where she bought her first bicycle. WHOA.
The awards ceremony was an Oprah moment for sure! Prizes were awarded for best team name, longest commute, and most miles pedaled in the month of May. The shop was packed! I am a night student, and don't have the opportunity to see many other cyclists on campus.
The stats came out this week, and the bike program let me know that "The Bike to PSU Challenge saw 936 riders, on 63 teams, & 26% of those were new commuters. The prize donations available during the Challenge helped to motivate these people to ride more, therefore drive less, relying less on fossil fuels." Heck yeah!