Spring Break
Faculty goes the distance
Adam Loghides
Issue date: 9/28/07 Section: News
OSU faculty and staff is pushing the pedal to the metal as they log distances travelled, on bike, for an annual challenge.
They are participating in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's 'Bike Commute Challenge 2007.' The competition started at the beginning of September.
The Challenge is a friendly competition between workplaces that takes place during the fall. OSU is competing against 700 other organizations statewide.
Around 135 OSU faculty and staff members have logged over 8,000 miles to date and may top the 9,000 mile mark before the month comes to an end.
OSU's participation began with a simple request from the Bicycle Advisory Committee, now the Alternative Transportation Advisory Committee.
"The Committee was contacted by the local Transportation Demand Management group to see if we would be interested in taking part in the challenge," OSU's Bike Commute Challenge event coordinator Rainier Farmer said. "(We agreed) and I have served as OSU's coordinator for the challenge ever since."
Farmer has logged a total of 244 miles through 14 trips on his bike. He is hoping for better results than the past seven years. OSU hasn't won it's category since 1999, their first year of participation.
If OSU is not able to win this year, it won't be for a lack of effort.
Molly Engle, chairperson for the OSU library committee, started riding her bike over the summer and has ridden that momentum into the fall.
"I love it, I really feel like I am on holy ground when I am on my bike," Engle said. "I don't know how it is going to go in the winter, but for now it is great."
Engle has logged her bike for a total of 65 miles on 13 different trips.
One of the participants who has ridden the most miles is MU Facilities Department employee Jerry Sabin. He has managed to log 210 miles to date and will be closer to 250 by the end of September. Sabin lives in Philomath and rides seven miles per day; both ways.
"Hopefully this challenge will get more people on their bikes around campus," Sabin said. "It is so worth it. It actually saves me from being in a bad mood when driving home at night and dealing with traffic."
For more information about the challenge visit www.bikecommutechallenge.com/oregon.
Adam Loghides, news writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
They are participating in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance's 'Bike Commute Challenge 2007.' The competition started at the beginning of September.
The Challenge is a friendly competition between workplaces that takes place during the fall. OSU is competing against 700 other organizations statewide.
Around 135 OSU faculty and staff members have logged over 8,000 miles to date and may top the 9,000 mile mark before the month comes to an end.
OSU's participation began with a simple request from the Bicycle Advisory Committee, now the Alternative Transportation Advisory Committee.
"The Committee was contacted by the local Transportation Demand Management group to see if we would be interested in taking part in the challenge," OSU's Bike Commute Challenge event coordinator Rainier Farmer said. "(We agreed) and I have served as OSU's coordinator for the challenge ever since."
Farmer has logged a total of 244 miles through 14 trips on his bike. He is hoping for better results than the past seven years. OSU hasn't won it's category since 1999, their first year of participation.
If OSU is not able to win this year, it won't be for a lack of effort.
Molly Engle, chairperson for the OSU library committee, started riding her bike over the summer and has ridden that momentum into the fall.
"I love it, I really feel like I am on holy ground when I am on my bike," Engle said. "I don't know how it is going to go in the winter, but for now it is great."
Engle has logged her bike for a total of 65 miles on 13 different trips.
One of the participants who has ridden the most miles is MU Facilities Department employee Jerry Sabin. He has managed to log 210 miles to date and will be closer to 250 by the end of September. Sabin lives in Philomath and rides seven miles per day; both ways.
"Hopefully this challenge will get more people on their bikes around campus," Sabin said. "It is so worth it. It actually saves me from being in a bad mood when driving home at night and dealing with traffic."
For more information about the challenge visit www.bikecommutechallenge.com/oregon.
Adam Loghides, news writer
news@dailybarometer.com, 737-2231
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