FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2014
Contact: Mike Kanarick
802.735.7962
City of Burlington Leads the Way with Launch of Employee Bikeshare Program
Encouraging Employee Wellness and Reducing City’s Carbon Footprint
Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger today launched the City Green Employee Bikeshare Program, now available to all City of Burlington employees. The program was fully funded by a wellness grant from the City’s health insurance carrier, BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont (BCBSVT), as part of BCBSVT’s efforts to reduce healthcare costs by encouraging active, healthy employee lifestyles. The City’s Wellness Committee organized the bikeshare program. The program, currently with a fleet of 15 bicycles, allows all employees to use bicycles for work-related and recreational use during the workday. Employee bikesharing encourages physical activity and employee wellness, reduces the City’s carbon footprint, frees up downtown parking for shoppers and visitors, and is typically faster than a car or bus for short trips.
After a ride from City Hall to the City’s 645 Pine Street facility with approximately 20 City colleagues on the new fleet of City bikes and some on personal bikes, Mayor Miro Weinberger stated: “I am pleased to kick-off the City’s new bikeshare program and to encourage employees to bike to and from meetings and appointments, or to enjoy a bike path ride on their lunch break. We continue to make steady progress towards our vision of an active and vibrant City, and offering a bikeshare program to employees that helps reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road is a step forward.”
The City of Burlington’s Climate Action Plan, originally written in 2000 and recently updated and re-adopted as part of the Municipal Development Plan in 2014, notes the impact of the transportation sector, specifically employee commuting, in Burlington’s greenhouse gas emissions portfolio. To help lower this impact and meet Burlington’s goal of halting emission increases and bringing down 2016 emissions to 2010 levels, the Climate Action Plan calls for reducing vehicle miles travelled within the community and among government operations, including staff commuting. This bikeshare program – as well as the City’s current efforts around parking and transportation demand management – is an important step in reaching this important goal.
The City of Burlington celebrated the launch of the Employee Bikeshare Program with a lunchtime open house for all employees at the 645 Pine Street facility, which houses the Departments of Parks, Recreation & Waterfront, Code Enforcement, and Public Works. The event began with a group ride from City Hall to 645 Pine Street, and the open house was planned with the following City partners: BCBSVT, Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA), Local Motion, CarShare Vermont, Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA), and Go! Vermont. The bike fleet was located on-site for education and test ride opportunities, as well as information about the program regarding booking, locations, equipment, and rules.
For more program details, please see the attached information and visit www.burlingtonvt.gov/hr/ridebikes.
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