Taking a bus to work instead of driving is one of many ways people can participate in the Commuter Challenge. GetDowntown has dubbed this week “Bus to Work” week and is encouraging participants to share their experiences on AATA buses by emailing info@getdowntown.org pictures and blog entries of their experiences.

File photo | AnnArbor.com

The effort to get employees to try an alternative mode to get to work, rather than drive their own personal vehicles, has netted a record number of companies this year.

As of today, about 281 organizations have signed up with almost 3,300 employees looking to green their commute, said Nancy Shore, director of getDowntown.

Shore said she’s heard many stories of people who have biked to work for the first time.

“That’s what is exciting about it,” Shore said. “Overall, when the day is done, we’re trying to get people excited about trying an alternative commute.”

Each week of the challenge, which runs throughout the month of May, features special prize drawings and challenges.

Participants can sign up any time this month at getDowntown’s Commuter Challenge website, enter their company’s name and then log any time they took an alternative means of transportation to sign up. Acceptable entries include biking, walking, mopeds, motorcycles, buses, carpooling, skateboarding, roller blading and train rides.

People receive incentives for signing up, logging just one commute and are entered into a drawing for overall winnings. Organizations and businesses that have the highest percentage of employees participating will receive prizes at the end of the competition.

GetDowntown has dubbed this week “Bus to Work” week and is encouraging participants to share their experiences on Ann Arbor Transit Authority buses by emailing info@getdowntown.org pictures and blog entries of their experiences.

The rankings, as of today, with the top five for each category, are as follows:

Organizations with 501+ employees, ranked by percentage of participating

• First place: University of Michigan School of Public Health: 10.14% of 582 employees participating (2,370.08 miles logged, 2028.66 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Second place: Zingerman’s Community of Businesses: 6.34% of 505 employees participating (390.34 miles logged, 334.08 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Third place: City of Ann Arbor: 5.03% of 736 employees participating (1,469.88 miles logged, 1,258.06 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fourth Place: Thomson Reuters: 3.29% of 700 employees participating (1,127 miles logged, 964.62 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fifth Place: Toyota Technical Center: 1.5% of 1,000 employees participating (739 miles logged, 632.47 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)

Organizations with 101-500 employees

• First place: Infor Global Solutions: 17.39% of 115 employees participating (1,568.1 miles logged, 1,342.11 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Second place: Ann Arbor District Library: 11% of 180 employees participating (278.5 miles logged, 238.36 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Third Place: University of Michigan Library: 9.5% of 400 employees participating (793.3 miles logged, 679.01 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fourth place: AATA: 8% of 200 employees participating (610.19 miles logged, 522.27 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fifth place: EPA NVFEL Ann Arbor: 7.53% of 438 employees participating (903.45 miles logged, 773.28 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)

Organizations with 51-100 employees

• First place: Washtenaw Friends of the Court: 38.18% of 55 employees participating (1,252.86 miles logged, 1072.32 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Second place: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health: 27.63% of 76 employees participating (754.9 miles logged, 646.14 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Third Place: University of Michigan CoE-AOSS: 20% of 100 employees participating (627.8 miles logged, 537.38 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fourth place: ITHAKA/JSTOR: 18.18% of 99 employees participating (904.2 miles logged, 773.92 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fifth place: Hobbs+Black Architects: 12.5% of 64 employees participating (118.4 miles logged, 101.36 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)

Organizations with 26-50 employees:

• First place: MyBuys: 17.78% of 45 employees participating (472.6 miles logged, 404.51 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Second place: Menlo Innovations LLC: 15.63% of 32 employees participating (189 miles logged, 161.75 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Third place: Ann Arbor SPARK and Incubator: 14.29% participating of 35 employees (233.1 miles logged, 199.53 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fourth place: DTE - General Operations: 13.33% of 30 employees participating (375 miles logged, 320.94 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fifth place: Michigan Tech Research Institute: 12.5% of 40 employees participating (97.12 miles logged, 83.1 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)

Organizations with 11-25 employees

• First place: Clean Energy Coalition: 83.33% of 18 employees participating (773.4 miles logged, 661.97 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Tied for second place:
• SRT Solutions: 64.71% of 17 employees participating (1280.2 miles logged, 1095.71 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Ecology Center: 64.71% of 17 employees participating (497.6 miles logged, 425.93 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Third place: The Whole Brain Group: 54.55% of 11 employees participating (246.8 miles logged, 211.25 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fourth place: A3C - Collaborative Architecture: 53.85% of 13 employees participating (154.12 miles logged, 131.9 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fifth place: ApplEcon: 52.63% of 19 employees participating (105.2 miles logged, 90.07 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)

Organizations with 2-10 employees

• Tied for first place: Dascola Barbers: 100% of 2 employees participating (30.2 miles logged, 25.83 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• The (Espresso) Bar: 100% of 2 employees participating (20.2 miles logged, 17.3 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Veterans Affairs Hospital Ann Arbor: 100% of 2 employees participating (10.8 miles logged, 9.24 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Mike Green & Associates: 100% of 2 employees participating (8 miles logged, 6.84 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Second place: Campobello Media LLC: 75% of 4 employees participating (25.6 miles logged, 21.92 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Tied for third place: Nutshell: 66.67% of 9 employees participating (134.47 miles logged, 115.08 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Kennedy Care: 66.67% of 3 employees participating (56.45 miles logged, 48.32 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Tied for fourth place: Lakeside Software: 60% of 5 employees participating (50 miles logged, 42.78 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• University of Michigan Women’s Studies: 60% of 5 employees participating (30.2 miles logged, 25.83 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Tied for fifth place: University of Michigan Transplant Center: 50% of 4 employees participating (407 miles logged, 348.33 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Arbormoon Software, Inc.: 50% of 6 employees participating (81.4 miles logged, 69.65 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• AFSC: 50% of 2 employees (46 miles logged, 39.37 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fair Housing Center of Southeastern Michigan: 50% of 4 employees participating (26.2 miles logged, 22.77 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Tim&Les, Inc.: 50% of 2 employees participating (18 miles logged, 15.42 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority: 50% of 4 employees participating (15.2 miles logged, 13 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Fourth Ave. Birkenstock: 50% of 4 employees participating (9.9 miles logged, 8.5 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)
• Center for Simplified Strategic Planning, Inc.: 50% of 2 employees participating (7 miles logged, 5.99 pounds of carbon dioxide avoided)

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.