January 2008
2007 Commuter Choice Award winners
Organization awards were presented in eight categories:
Large Organization
Starkey Laboratories of Eden Prairie won for distinguishing itself among Twin Cities employers that offer comprehensive commuting programs. Starkey’s program includes incentives for carpoolers and vanpoolers, transit riders and bicycle riders.
Medium Organization
Quality Bike Products of Bloomington won for its employee bicycle commuting program and for providing a free outdoor bike rack to any Twin Cites company that works with a TMO to promote alternate commuting options.
Small Organization
Reliable Sites, a St. Paul-based web services and development firm, was recognized for its employee transportation program, including pre-tax transit benefits, bicycle amenities, free transit passes and incentives for carpoolers.
Property Management
Zeller Realty Group of Bloomington received an award for providing commuter fairs and free bike tune-ups for those working and living near the firm’s facilities.
University or School
Minneapolis Community and Technical College won for promoting options such as the Go-To College Pass for students, offering more bike racks and adding parking for motorcycles.
Outstanding Promotion (Large Organization)
The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus was honored for its successful implementation of a transit and transportation response plan after the I-35W bridge collapse.
Outstanding Promotion (Small Organization)
Trotter’s Café of St. Paul was awarded for organizing a campaign in the Merriam Park neighborhood to encourage residents to bike, walk or take transit instead of driving alone.
Rookie of the Year
Minneapolis engineering firm Dunham Associates was recognized for providing unlimited-ride Metropasses to employees at no cost. The company has been promoting commuting options for about a year.
Individual awards were presented in five categories:
Rookie of the Year
Katherine DuGarm was recognized for biking 14 miles round trip at least three days a week to her job with Ramsey County.
Individual Achievement
Thomas Ruffaner of Augsburg College won for advocating for public transportation and alternative commuting options at the college. He encouraged college leaders at Augsburg to implement discounts on transit passes and to offer the Go-To College Pass program for students.
Lifetime Achievement
Pat Sorensen, president of Penn Cycle & Fitness, received an award for promoting commuting options at his company and in the wider community. Sorensen, a transportation commissioner for the City of Richfield, is also involved with the nonprofit group Two Wheels to Town, which works with local communities on planning for bike paths.
Friend of Commuter Alternatives
Steve Rusk, chair of the Bike Edina Task Force, was recognized for his leadership in Edina. Thanks to his efforts, the City of Edina incorporated bicycle and pedestrian plans into its comprehensive plan.
Commuter of the Year
Scott Conwell of Best Buy won for his bicycle commuting efforts and for touting the health and environmental benefits of bike commuting to his co-workers.
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