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WHAT IS IT?
The ZAP bike commuter program uses ZAP hardware and software - an automated bike commuting recognition system pioneered at the University of Minnesota. It is an effortless way of verifying and logging bike trips, then rewarding and incentivizing bicycle commuters with prizes and Wellness rewards.
| Visit the official site at gopherzap.org! |
WHERE?
The Bike Center is the only place to get a tag installed on a bicycle for an innovative RFID system, which permits bicyclists to earn benefits and incentives by simply validating their bike trips. Interested individuals must visit the bike center during normal business hours.
Once the tag is installed, start automatically logging your trips electronically. See a map of RFID Reader Locations.
WHY?
Faculty and staff can gain 75 points in the U's 2013 Wellness Points Bank Program to reduce a person's UPlan Medical Program rates in 2014. Riders must log 50 round trips to and from their University workplace before August 31, 2013. See more details.
Students who commute by bike at least 12 times in a month can win free prizes.
Additionally, cyclists may be eligible for prize drawings and challenges through the region-wide ZAP Twin Cities program.
ZAP participants can form teams for competitions and track miles, CO2 saved and calories burned on a personalized ZAP Webpage.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
A small tag attached to two front wheel spokes is recognized by strategically placed ZAP readers installed in rings around downtown Minneapolis, downtown Saint Paul and the University of Minnesota.
Riders passing within 30 feet of the reader will hear a beep, indicating they have been "zapped." Trip data is uploaded to the web, making it accessible to the cyclist and the administrators of the program.
To get zapped, look where the antenna is pointing to identify the "sweet spot" of the ZAP zone. This is typically 5-15 feet out from the reader on the street side of the reader (NOT on the sidewalk side of the reader). Readers are not designed to read across an entire street. When a rider is zapped, the machine will "beep" and a green light will flash.
Learn More!
Watch a short news story about this innovative program.
