DENVER, CO (BRAIN)—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 on Monday 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.
PHOTO by Barry Staver
