Last week more than 300 Coasters rode their bicycles almost 15,000 kilometres during Bike to Work Week. That puts us in fourth place of the 26 participating B.C. communities for cyclists, and sixth place for number of kilometres biked. That's double the 2011 results with the same wet, cool May and June weather.
The event's success speaks volumes to the passion for biking on the Coast and people wanting to get involved.
Led by the non-profit society Transportation Choices (TraC), the event attracted sponsorship from the B.C. government, Sunshine Coast Credit Union, Coast Reporter and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. A dozen small businesses also provided excellent prizes and cash donations and registered their own staff teams to participate. In addition, a half dozen ambassador organizations helped raise awareness and participation for the event.
A number of schools also joined in this year - extending ridership to hundreds of school students.
It was really encouraging to have Gibsons Elementary and Roberts Creek Elementary schools get on board this year - with both staff and students participating.
Gibsons Elementary principal Deborah Luporini said students seemed calmer and better focused last week.
"We attributed it to the exertion of energy prior to coming to school and then again at the end of the day," she said.
Starting kids early with safety awareness ignites a lifelong love of riding, according to Martin Prestage of TraC.
"It supports students' confidence to ride to school instead of being dropped off every day by car," Prestage said.
We know biking is excellent for our health, but studies confirm it also improves the work/school performance relative to non-cyclists.
Biking increases community connectivity, too. People get out, meet and relate in ways they might not when in vehicles. And it is one easy way to reduce your personal and business transportation emissions and reduce demand on fossil fuels.
"Imagine if more people biked," said Johan Stroman, community energy manager with the SCRD.
"Five hundred people riding bikes to work four months of the year could reduce our community emissions by 72 tonnes -that's sizable. It's one piece of the puzzle in conserving energy and addressing climate change."
Mark Wilson of TraC added, "This is just the beginning. June is actually Bike Month. We encourage work teams to keep riding. Be safe. Remember your helmet, front and rear lights and rules of the road. Then get out there."
With new bike racks being installed on the Coast in the next couple of months, bike lockers at several bus stops (Langdale, Sunnycrest Mall, Roberts Creek / Hwy. 101 and others) and more bikeway paving planned, it can only get easier.
If you want to get more involved locally, contact Transportation Choices at [email protected] (www.transportationchoices.ca), or plan to attend velovillage, a one-day cycling event on Saltspring Island Friday, June 22, bringing B.C. mayors, planners and cycling enthusiasts together to share, learn and help grow cycling in B.C.
Visit www.velovillage.com for more details.
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