GoByBike BC Society is once again encouraging active transportation across the province during Spring Go By Bike week May 30 to June 5, 2022 and hoping high gas prices may give them an extra boost.
A Critical Mass Bike Ride and Parade will be taking place in Williams Lake starting at Red Shred’s Bike and Board Shed on Friday, June 3 at 3:30 p.m. with costumes encouraged.
Along the way, there will be opportunities to stop at various locations for people to learn about the connection between active transportation, air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Prizes will be awarded at the end of the ride, and dressing up is encouraged, says Jacinta D’Andrea, who is organizing the ride and parade.
Whether residents live in or out of town, people shopping or doing errands are asked to reduce driving as much as possible by parking their vehicles and visiting stores by foot or other non-motorized means.
“GoByBike Week is an excellent way to encourage active transportation in our community,” says Amber Gregg, Cariboo-Chilcotin Conservation Society program co-ordinator. “Not only does this event raise awareness about the effect of emissions on the environment, it also highlights the need for improvements to make traveling by bike a safe option.”
The Spring GoByBike BC event encourages people to use a bicycle, scooter or rollerblades during the week of May 30 to June 5 and to register online and log their bicycle trips, whether those trips are for fresh air and exercise, travel to work or running errands, they all count.
Everyone who registers and logs their rides during the week is then eligible for prizes.
The grand prize is a self-guided cycling adventure for two in the Netherlands from Exodus Travels (excluding airfare) for entrants over 19 years old.
Some of the other prizes available also include cycling gear and apparel and other bike-related prizes like two nights and bike passes to stay in Panorama, B.C.
The online Go by Bike Week tracking tool also allows people to create and compete on teams, track their kilometers, and see how many greenhouse gas emissions they’ve saved by cycling instead of driving.
Other events planned this month to promote cycling will be a bike rodeo for Chilcotin Road students, a moms and daughters ride with some bike skills and a supported bike ride to the school, all part of an initiative to support the Chilcotin Road Elementary School.
Signing up with the GoByBike BC website provides access to resources like cycling education and resources for schools.
More than 50,000 British Columbians registered for the 2021/22 programs to promote the society’s goals to help people “discover how enjoyable it is to ride a bike and continue to ride their bikes daily which leads to improved mental and physical health and encourage each other to get healthy and help the environment by riding a bike through forming and celebrating the joy that cycling brings.”
GoByBike BC Society is encouraging participants to also share the message with the hashtag #SpringGoByBikeWeek and to follow their various social media platforms under @gobybikebc.
New cycling and transit infrastructure in the Lower Mainland and Greater Vancouver area means organizers of the event in that area hope to see higher numbers this year given the record-high gas prices.
Driving an SUV in the city can cost roughly $0.56 per kilometre driven, according to the Canadian Automobile Association website calculator, which factors in annual maintenance and insurance costs.
“Cycling one kilometre costs nothing,” stated Kate Shen, HUB Cycling’s Manager of Partnerships and Events in a release.
To find out more or to register go to: GoByBikeBC’s website.
Editor’s note: This story has been corrected to remove a quote which included an incorrect figure for the cost of driving one kilometre.
Read more: Bicycle Festival pedals into Williams Lake
ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
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