Commuter Challenge 2025

Best Challenge in Years!

Engagement for the 2025 Commuter Challenge exceeded recent years’ achievements! 

We are pleased to announce that 644 people logged 12,356 sustainable commutes during this year’s Commuter Challenge, which ran from May 1 – May 31. The challenge inspired commuters travelling to and within the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas to choose sustainable transportation options, such as walking, biking, carpooling, or taking the bus, to get to work. 

Everyone’s dedication in finding alternatives to driving alone saved an estimated 96,160 pounds of CO2 from entering our atmosphere. According to the US EPA, this amount is equivalent to the amount of carbon sequestered by 43.7 acres of forest in a year.

Twenty individuals won gift cards to area restaurants and shops by logging commutes and engaging in social media contests, and all participants could receive a free scoop of ice cream from Washtenaw Dairy when they logged their first commute.

In addition to the individual prizes, dozens of local workplace teams competed in four size categories to record the highest percentage of employees logging a sustainable commute. Celebratory lunches catered by Sweetgreen were awarded to top teams. The winning 2025 Commuter Challenge workplace teams are:

• 2-20 employees: U-M ADVANCE Program
• 21-49 employees: U-M Office of Campus Sustainability
• 50-100 employees: Mathematical Reviews
• 101+ employees: U-M Center for Academic Innovation

The Commuter Challenge would not be as successful without the support of local businesses that contributed prizes or otherwise supported the challenge. 

Feedback is welcome as getDowntown looks to improve with each future challenge. Contact us by email at information@getdowntown.org.

Ann Arbor area community members are invited to keep logging their commutes throughout the year on win.getDowntown.org and join future challenges from the getDowntown program.