Pedal Perks encourages campus members to bike to work

Prizes range from helmets to a commuter bike

A new UCCS program is aiming to get faculty, staff and students to commute to and from campus using only their bikes.

Pedal Perks is a yearlong bicycle commuter incentive program launched Sept. 5 at Bike Jam. The program promotes active transportation in an effort to integrate individual wellness and campus sustainability.

Evolving out of the annual UCCS Bike Month Challenge, Pedal Perks celebrates alternative transportation and encourages campus members to ride their bike for their daily commute in exchange for prizes.

According to Andrea Hassler, trails and outdoors coordinator, UCCS Recreation Center, Pedal Perks is a great step forward in recognizing the benefits of exercise and sustainability on campus.

“From a sustainability front, it’s a great way to help reduce the campus’s carbon footprint but at the same time it allows us to progress in our own personal wellness,” Hessler said. “To be happy and successful in either the office or classroom, we need to be active and healthy. This is a great way for people to get started.”

Participants create profiles at www.bikejournal.com, registering under the UCCS Pedal Perks Team. Riders then log their commutes and attend bicycle-related events and workshops to earn points. Participants can also receive points for taking a health survey and fitness exam, which will be repeated at the end of the year.

At the end of every month and semester, total points are calculated and participants are entered to win prizes ranging from lights, helmets and coffee cup holders to bicycling jerseys or a new commuter bike. Faculty and staff who enroll can also receive a free shower pass to use the facilities in the Rec Center.

Riders of all levels are welcome to join the program.

“Everyone is welcome, no matter what their experience is,” Hassler said. “If you’re able to do it every day, great. But we know that’s not reasonable for everyone. Those who can only do it once a week, once a month or even once a semester are also welcome because every bit makes a difference.”

The program is funded through a combination of Kaiser Permanente’s Walk and Wheel Colorado: Increasing Walking & Biking in Colorado Through Employer Action grant and the UCCS Parking and Transportation Department’s Sustainable Transportation fund. Support comes from UCCS Campus Recreation, Office of Sustainability, Health Sciences Department, Auxiliary Marketing and the newly formed Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Individuals interested in signing up for Pedal Perks can register here.

A full list of workshops, clinics and campus rides for the fall semester can be found here.

For more information, visit www.uccs.edu/pedalperks.