May 28 - June 3 - Bike to Work week comes to Greater Vancouver
Vancouverites! Get ready for Bike to Work Week. Previously piloted on the North Shore in 2005 and 2006, this year the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition will host Bike to Work Week for all of Greater Vancouver. The program is modeled after Victoria’s Bike to Work Week, which has received acclaim from other bike-friendly cities:
“The City of Chicago recently evaluated bike to work promotional programs throughout North America. We decided to use Victoria’s model; it is by far the best planned and most successful program we could find,” said Ben Gomberg, Bicycle Program Coordinator, Chicago Department of Transportation in 2005
Designed to help more people choose bikes for their daily commute, the initiative offers a generous array of incentives. Workplaces win prizes for the highest rate of participation and the greatest number of new cyclists registered. Free commuter cycling courses equip new riders with the skills and resources to bike to work safely and confidently. “Commuter stations” around the Lower Mainland provide refreshments, prize draws, bike mechanics, and a fun and helpful community of other cyclists.
The success of Bike to Work Week depends on volunteer workplace team leaders. Almost every workplace has at least a few employees who currently cycle to work. Team leaders are generally dedicated commuter cyclists who enjoy encouraging and helping others as they try cycling to work. Team leaders organize co-workers into teams and register on-line for chances to win prizes.
There’s no reason to wait until May to start biking to work. Participants can log kilometers traveled, calories burned, and greenhouse gases saved during the time leading up to Bike to Work Week. For full program information, visit the VACC’s recently re-vamped website: www.vacc.bc.ca/biketowork
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