Bike, Bus, Walk Week Challenge doubles participation

The seventh annual event was initiated by Ozark Greenways Inc., a nonprofit citizens group that works to preserve and enhance the area’s greenspace. The challenge saw more than double the participants it had last year.

Winners of this year’s challenge were:

• McBride Elementary School in the primary schools division, with 51 students participating;

• the city of Springfield in the large business division, with 28 employees participating;

• Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. in the medium business division, with 64 employees participating (click here to read architect Tim Rosenbury’s journal of his participation in the challenge); and

• Community Foundation of the Ozarks in the small business division, with 10 employees participating.

Winners were determined based on number of participants and their frequency of participation, according to program coordinator Lori Tack.

“We had such an amazing increase this year,” Tack said of this year's participation. “Things aren’t going to change overnight, but it just gets people thinking about (our) options.”

City Utilities provided 788 free bus rides during the week to people traveling with a bike.

Ozark Greenways this year introduced a Web site within the www.ozarkgreenways.org site about alternative transportation, created a “partially car-free” partnership with the May 4 First Friday Art Walk, and extended the Bike, Bus, Walk Week Challenge to students.