The health
benefits of biking to school are well documented, but getting kids and adults
to bike on a regular basis continues to be a challenge. That is where an
inventive program like The Hub, which collects data and awards prizes for
changing habits, is so important.
This
past Fall, Corner Cycle and the Saris Cycling Group of Madison, Wisconsin
purchased The Hub for the East Falmouth Elementary School. We are
the first school in all of New England to use The Hub to collect data on active
commuting and to offer an incentive program for students and staff who walk or
bike to school.
The
Hub is a digital card reader that collects data on students and staff that walk
or bike to school. A small cohort of students and staff have been piloting the
program since October, and the plan is to get more of the EFES community
involved this Spring.
The
Hub is a hardware and software package that makes it simple, educational, and
effective to implement a walking and biking incentive program for schools and
businesses. Used as a system, these tools make it a piece of cake to administer
a custom incentive program and the friendly competition gives ample
encouragement for individuals to get out and ride.
Here’s
how it works: RIDE. SCAN. EARN.
Step
1: Ride
When
the rider arrives, they simply scan their "card" by the tracker to
have their trip recorded.
Step
2: Scan
The
tracker transmits the data securely to a website that tabulates the rider’s
trips.
Step
3: Earn
The
website shows commuting statistics for each person, sub-group (classroom or
department) and the group as a whole. Each group creates their own method of
rewards. The East Falmouth Elementary School has teamed up with Bike Falmouth,
Corner Cycle, the Falmouth Chamber of Commerce, and Cape Cod 5 Bank to offer
incentives such as t-shirts, bike lights, bells, helmets, and other bike
related prizes. Friendly competition is encouraged- nothing is better than
class or grade level rivalry to spark motivation.
We
would love to see other schools and organizations (WHOI, Falmouth Hospital,
etc.) purchase The Hub and start to encourage active commuting. Saris has a
commitment to cycling advocacy and has proven that they are willing to work
with the Falmouth Schools.
More
information on The Hub:
http://thehub.saris.com/TheHub/
YouTube
Video on The Hub:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYyOU5bUBZY
Contact
Us:
Jay
Hauptmann
4th
Grade Teacher, East Falmouth Elementary School
Heather Fortune
Advocacy Coordinator, Saris Cycling Group
Advocacy Coordinator, Saris Cycling Group
hfortune@saris.com
608-729-6147
608-729-6147
Saris Cycling Group
5253 Verona Road
Madison, WI 53711
5253 Verona Road
Madison, WI 53711
