Bike to Work Week

From May 27-June 2, 2019 residents of Victoria are encouraged to park their vehicles and commute to work by cycling.  Royal Roads University has had a team for this event for several years (RRU Roadies). Two of our faculty in the School of Environment and Sustainability, have been a part of this team but cycle to work daily throughout the year, all while living the farthest distance from campus of any of us!

The Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society began the Bike to Work Week 25 years ago and it has grown from 500 to 7000 participants.   The campaign’s strategy is to change commuters behaviour and make it fun.  There are several free events during the week at various locations throughout Victoria.   While the riders are having fun, they are also reducing their carbon footprint, getting healthy, saving money on gas and enjoying the fresh air. The RRU Roadies are making a difference by reducing the number of single vehicle commutes to campus.

What’s better than coming together as a group and helping the environment while having fun and winning prizes?  It’s wonderful to see the camaraderie with this event, especially for those who may be experiencing cycling for the first time.  If you think you might like to give this a try but don’t have a bike, there are many bike shops around Victoria that rent out bikes which include a helmet and a lock.  Who knows, you may actually enjoy it and become an avid cyclist. The City of Victoria has a great section on cycling.

If you missed this year’s Bike to Work Week, you may be interested in knowing that June 3 is World Bicycle Day, organized by the United Nations.