Imagine getting paid to ride your bike. That’s exactly what happened during our Drive Less Ride More program from April 1 to June 23, 2024, when the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR) funded an innovative program to encourage people to swap their car trips for bike rides.
The Program
For 12 weeks, 387 participants earned incentives for tracking their bike trips on mywaytogo.org, ultimately earning a total of $43,340 in rewards. Incentives were distributed through an online gift card service, allowing participants to receive Visa or Mastercard gift cards for their rides.
But the program wasn’t just about financial rewards, it also created a thriving biking community. We hosted 8 meet-up events in partnership with local businesses, including Raices Brewery, Novel Strand Brewing, Sweet Action, and Totem Bicycles. We provided bikers with the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals. Participants overwhelmingly enjoyed these gatherings, reporting they had a great time meeting fellow cyclists and feeling part of a larger movement.
Cash vs. Lottery: What Works Best?
Participants were randomly divided into two groups to test different incentive strategies:
Group A:
Earned $2 per ride for their first 8 rides each week and $3 per ride for their next 4 rides, up to 12 rides per week.
Group B:
Earned $2 per ride for 12 rides, plus an entry into a $250 lottery for each ride they took.
Both incentive strategies effectively encouraged participants to replace car trips with bike rides, but the lottery-based incentive in Group B resulted in a higher percentage of participants replacing more trips. This suggests that the possibility of a bigger payout might be more motivating than guaranteed smaller payments.
Participant Feedback
Throughout the program, participants completed surveys and shared their experiences. Here’s what they had to say:
- "This program pushed me to ride more than I ever have."
- "I explored so many new trails that I never would have discovered."
- "It helped me develop a regular biking routine."
- "I feel healthier and fitter than I did before."
- "I feel more connected to nature and my community."
- "I’m way more comfortable biking now than when I started."
The Impact
In just 12 weeks, the program had a huge impact:
- 26,457 bike trips taken
- 123,829 miles traveled by bike
- 55.6 tons of CO2 saved
- $82,000 saved in transportation costs
- 6.3 million calories burned
What’s Next?
With such promising results, we’re excited about the potential to bring this program back in 2025. We’re currently in discussions with CASR to refine the program and make it even more impactful.
Key Takeaway
Incentive programs work! Whether through direct cash payments or a lottery system, paying people to bike is an effective way to encourage sustainable transportation choices. If you’ve been looking for a reason to ditch your car and hop on a bike, this program proves that the benefits, both personal and environmental, are well worth it. Stay tuned for more updates on how we’re working to get more people riding in Denver!