Aug 24 2008
Bike-sharing officially rolled into Denver today as Mayor John Hickenlooper launched the nation's largest bike-sharing program to date: Freewheelin. Leading 100 cyclists through the streets of Denver, Mayor Hickenlooper celebrated this joint program between Humana (NYSE: HUM) and the nonprofit cycling advocacy group, Bikes Belong. Freewheelin is bringing 1,000 bikes to Denver and to Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Democratic and Republican conventions, highlighted by free use for all participants. Registration for bikes is available at http://www.freewheelinwaytogo.com.
"We hope that as the spotlight shines bright on Denver and Minneapolis-St. Paul during the next two weeks, we can show bikes as a pathway for healthy bodies, healthy spirits and a healthier planet," said Jonathan Lord, M.D., Humana's chief innovation officer.
Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, added that, "The time is right to highlight the bicycle as an ideal transportation solution. Nearly 40 percent of all trips Americans make are two miles or less -- the perfect length to go by bike. With soaring gas prices, interest in bicycling as a U.S. transportation solution has grown. This is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the convenience of bicycling for short trips."
Dr. Julie Gerberding, Director of the Centers for Disease Control, also spoke highly of the Freewheelin initiative.
"Biking is fun, and this innovative program from Humana and Bikes Belong provides an excellent way for people to exercise, and we all know exercise is critical to protecting one's health. I encourage everyone planning to attend the conventions to strap on a helmet and safely pedal their way to good health during their stay in Denver or Minneapolis-St. Paul."
Bike-sharing is the international social movement whereby bikes are situated at designated stations throughout cities for individuals to use for a specified amount of time. It is a viable transportation alternative for those who prefer an environmentally friendly, cost-effective and healthy means of traveling, especially for short trips. By providing these bikes to the Democratic and Republican convention cities, Humana and Bikes Belong hope to increase awareness of bicycling in the minds of all involved with the conventions -- from the delegates to the media to even the presidential candidates themselves.
After its debut in Denver, Freewheelin moves on to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where Humana and Bikes Belong also will provide 1,000 bikes for free use. In total, Bikes Belong member companies provided more than $500,000 worth of biking equipment to both convention cities.
How Freewheelin Works
Bikes will be available in Denver from Aug. 25-28; and in Minneapolis-St. Paul for the Republican convention from Sept. 1-4. Participants who register in advance via the Freewheelin Web site -- http://www.freewheelinwaytogo.com -- will be ready to check out a bike from one of the multiple bike stations throughout the convention cities. Online registration and use of the bikes during the conventions is free, with all related costs paid by Humana and Bikes Belong. Bikes will be available beginning at 7 a.m. each day of the conventions, and don't have to be returned to a bike station until 7 p.m. each day. The bikes can be picked up and returned to any station (locations available at the freewheelinwaytogo Web site).
Those interested in the program, but unable to register online, can also register in person at any Freewheelin station. Greeters will be on site at each bike station to assist with registration and route planning, and safety specialists will be available to answer questions and address concerns.
Humana pioneered the bike-sharing program in 2007 in its corporate hometown of Louisville, Ky. The initiative focuses on fun as well as health by encouraging people to get on a bike and ride with friends, just like when they were kids. Twenty-one percent of those riding were not previously involved in exercise activity.
On July 30 in Washington, D.C., Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR-3), James Oberstar (D-MN-8), Thomas Petri (R-WI-6) and Zach Wamp (R-TN-3) issued a spirited challenge to attendees at the political conventions: join together in the Freewheelin bike-sharing initiative to generate 10,000 rides and bike 25,000 miles at the conventions.
With on-bike computers that track mileage and the ability to compute calories burned and carbon reduction for each cyclist, Humana will have metrics available following the conventions to measure participants' progress toward the "bike-partisan" challenge.