What did we do this year in Bike to Work?

Bike, scooter, walk, or trot to work. This has been the motto of the challenges we, as the AutoMat association, have been organizing every year for 12 years. How did we do this year? Here’s a little Christmas recap.

Almost 25,000 participants from all over the country took part in the “flagship” May Bike to Work Challenge – AutoMat. They were either inspired to try sustainable modes of transport for the first time or, as proficient cyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, they wanted to highlight the importance of active mobility for our cities. In addition, they contributed to the identification of problematic areas of urban infrastructure with anonymized data.

In numbers, it looks like we collectively rode, walked, and ran almost 6.3 million km in May – a distance equivalent to going to the moon and back more than eight times. At the same time, we theoretically saved almost 811 tonnes of CO2 emissions, which is roughly the amount that 811 trees absorb in 100 years. Additional green miles and tons of emissions saved were then added by the thousands of people who signed up for the January and September Bike to Work Challenges.

But it’s not just record numbers. What’s important is that the vast majority of participants in the challenge want to continue sustainable transport for the rest of the year.

We also motivated employers, and in the special Cycling Employer category, they appreciated it when your company allows you to lock your bike safely, take a shower, or when they organize a joint bike tour or workshop.

We are also looking at the development of infrastructure for people on bikes and on foot in the regions. We also rewarded the Cycling City of the Year Bike to Work Award to the Cycling City that has made the most progress in recent times. The winners won an excursion to Munich, where they can be inspired by examples from professional practice.

None of the Bike to Work Challenges could have happened without the active local and corporate coordinators, participants, and our donors. You can support the challenge and AutoMat’s long-term efforts to make cities better by visiting nakrmteautomat.cz.

You can also motivate yourself or your loved ones to use sustainable transport by buying the best voucher for the 2023 Bike to Work Challenge.

Thanks!