Every year in May (before the 100-degree days take over), team members from our Austin office unite to tour some of their current, past, and upcoming projects that are conveniently located throughout the city.
What makes this tour so special and unique is that it’s a tradition that was entirely planned, organized, and executed by the associates, AND it’s all done on bicycles!
This year’s tour was a little more significant for some attendees, as it commemorated five years of this highly anticipated team event that many look forward to all year long.
“This is my fifth year doing the bike tour and it’s my favorite event of the year. My team personally has 3 or 4 projects on the tour this year, so I think that’s really cool. Some of the projects we visited on past bike tours were in the permitting stage, and now this year, we are getting to see them in construction, so that’s extremely rewarding.” – Siri Soth, Civil Team Leader
The tour runs from the WGI Austin office on the east side of Interstate 35, into and around downtown Austin, then back to the office.
There are usually around 10 project stops on the tour, with each year’s route varying slightly depending on what new projects are in play that year, and who helps plan the route.
Stopping at a few local Austin watering holes along the journey has become part of the Bike Tour tradition, giving associates a chance to take a break from the pedals and get to know each other better while enjoying a cold beverage.
“This was my first time participating in the bike tour and it was awesome! I recently joined WGI and was really excited when I heard about this event because I use to organize brewery bike tours just like this back in Chicago. What’s unique about this event though, is the added element of getting to see several projects around the city that we are personally working on.” – Katie Bolger, Civil Project Manger
Upon arriving at each project destination along the route, project managers and other team members take turns speaking about the projects they were directly involved with and how their contributions helped facilitate success.
The bike tour gives participants the opportunity to learn about projects other teams in their office are working on, what services WGI is providing, the current status and estimated completion date of the projects, and other interesting details and challenges that were encountered along the way.
For this year’s tour, the invite was also extended to several new hires and interns preparing to begin their journey with WGI.
“This has been a really cool experience to check out different project sites and get energized about something I am about to be a part of. My favorite part of the tour has been getting to know all of the people that I will be working with soon in a more casual setting, and learning more about what all of their different roles are here. I start my internship in a few weeks and I am really looking forward to being part of the WGI team.” – Hunter Hellinger, Civil Team Intern
What better way to get to know your teammates than by kicking back with a few drinks and cruising the streets of Austin to admire your team’s accomplishments!
Check out our recap video below for a glimpse of what it’s like to attend the project bike tour!
