The Olympian: Park the car - ride the bike to work

South Sound’s annual Bicycle Commuter Contest is coming of age, growing immensely in popularity and participation. This is the 20th year of the contest, which encourages commuters to get out of their single-occupancy vehicle and onto the seat of a bicycle during the month of May. Gasoline at more than $3.25 a gallon should be a great incentive for participation this year.
In 2006, nearly 900 individuals logged more than 68,600 miles bicycling to work, school or errands, according to event organizers. Organizers encourage individual and team competitions, and award prizes donated by merchants.

To participate, riders register and record the number of miles they ride in May. To qualify for prizes, participants must turn in their mileage logs to Intercity Transit.

Since the contest was conceived in 1988, the goals have remained the same: promote exercise, reduce commuting costs, ease traffic congestion and curb greenhouse-gas emissions and toxic pollution associated with vehicle exhaust.

What a great contest focusing on the multiple advantages of bicycling in South Sound.