Power To The Pedalers: Nation's Largest Bike-Sharing Initiative Off To Fast Start At Democratic National Convention
Freewheelin effort nets 1,429 rides and 2,937 miles on first day
of DNC
Washington Post names Freewheelin bike-sharing program among "5
Things to Love About Denver"
DENVER--(Business Wire)--
Just one day into the Democratic National Convention, more than
1,400 convention delegates, visitors and Denver residents are ready to
vote yes ... for Freewheelin. The innovative bike-sharing program from
Humana and Bikes Belong recorded 1,429 rides, 2,937 miles ridden,
92,000 calories burned and a carbon-footprint reduction of just more
than one metric ton.
"If the first day of the DNC is any indication, bike-sharing has
tremendous potential in the U.S.," said Jonathan Lord, M.D., Humana's
chief innovation officer. "Riding a bike is great for your body, great
for the environment, and a lot of fun. So many people are returning
their bikes with big smiles on their faces, reminded of all the fun
they had riding bikes as kids."
Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, praised the
people who are deciding to make a Freewheelin bicycle their mode of
transportation at the DNC.
"The first day was a tremendous success. Each of our seven
stations was busy all day and the streets and fantastic bike paths in
Denver were filled with happy, healthy cyclists. We couldn't have
asked for more."
Freewheelin, the nation's largest bike-sharing program, comes to
this year's political conventions from health-benefits company Humana
and bicycling-advocacy group Bikes Belong. They are providing 1,000
bikes for use free in Denver throughout the DNC, and will take an
additional 1,000 bikes to Minneapolis-Saint Paul next week for the
Republican National Convention. The Washington Post has listed
Freewheelin among "five things to love about Denver."
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.
In total, Bikes Belong member companies provided more than
$500,000 worth of biking equipment to both convention cities.
How Freewheelin Works
Bikes are 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 -
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
are 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.com Web site).
Those interested in the program, but unable to register online,
can also register in person at any Freewheelin station. Greeters are
on site at each bike station to assist with registration and route
planning, and safety specialists are 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.
A 'Bike-Partisan' Challenge
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.
About Humana
Humana Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is one of the
nation's largest publicly traded health and supplemental benefits
companies, with approximately 11.5 million medical members. Humana is
a full-service benefits solutions company, offering a wide array of
health and supplementary benefit plans for employer groups, government
programs and individuals.
Over its 47-year history, Humana has consistently seized
opportunities to meet changing customer needs. Today, the company is a
leader in consumer engagement, providing guidance that leads to lower
costs and a better health plan experience throughout its diversified
customer portfolio.
More information regarding Humana is available to investors via
the Investor Relations page of the company's Web site at
http://www.humana.com, including copies of:
-- Annual reports to stockholders
-- Securities and Exchange Commission filings
-- Most recent investor conference presentations
-- Quarterly earnings news releases
-- Replays of most recent earnings release conference calls
-- Calendar of events (includes upcoming earnings conference call
dates and times, as well as planned interaction with research
analysts and institutional investors)
-- Corporate Governance Information
About Bikes Belong
Bikes Belong is the U.S. bicycle industry organization dedicated
to putting more people on bicycles more often. Bikes Belong Coalition
works to increase federal bike funding, awards grants to support
innovative bike projects, promotes bicycling and its benefits, and
sponsors key initiatives such as the National Bike Summit. The
affiliated Bikes Belong Foundation focuses on improving bicycle
safety, enhancing children's bike programs, and making communities
friendlier for bicyclists by backing national efforts such as Safe
Routes to School and Bicycle Friendly Communities.
Humana
Corporate Communications
Jim Turner, 502-608-2897
jturner2@humana.com
or
Bikes Belong Coalition
Avery Stonich, 303-638-1586
avery@bikesbelong.org
Copyright Business Wire 2008
