Dero ZAP 2013 Year in Review

Looking back at 2013, it was a great year for Dero ZAP. We’ve come so far since 2009. We’re proud that our system has made it possible for universities, cities, and schools to track and incentivize bicycling around the country and the world. We now have a total of 48 readers spanning Minneapolis and St. Paul. There are also readers in Oregon, Texas, California, Washington, New England, and even Canada and Holland. A total of 310,000 rides were recorded in 2013, which puts us over 450,000 zaps since Dero ZAP’s inception (see infographic above, stats do not include Boltage readers). Dero ZAP came to be because the University of Minnesota (U of M) wanted to be able to track its bike commuters automatically, so it could reward those bicycling to/from campus. The U of M began its Zap program in January 2012 and at the end of 2013 it tagged its 2,500th Gopher ZAP user! This is a major milestone for ridership at the U of M and is one of the many reasons why it’s considered one of the “great colleges for cyclists” and has a Gold level Bicycle Friendly University designation from the League of American Bicyclists. They even have annual spring and fall Zap challenges where teams compete for prizes, as well as the coveted first place. Another trailblazer, ZAP Twin Cities is wrapping up its pilot year of running programs for downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul commuters. New riders were rewarded with a bike light after logging their first 10 zaps, with over 400 riders receiving one in 2013. This growing program continues to reward its bike commuters with prizes, such as home storage bike racks, gift cards, and bike tune-ups to increase people on bikes and decrease single occupancy motor vehicles on our roads. But many bike riders don’t need more of an incentive than the “beep” they hear biking past a Zap reader! We’re delighted that more and more organizations understand the need to increase and support cycling in their communities and that Dero ZAP can help them achieve their goals. More biking helps to lower our footprint on the environment, improve our health, and build a sustainable future for everyone.

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