I'm very pleased to announce that all 12 participants have met the requirements of the challenge, and are therefore eligible to keep their bicycles as a prize! In total, the 12 participants have cycled nearly 2000 kilometres from home to work!
Numerous participants have expressed an interest in maintaining this blog throughout the year. I'm pleased to announce that this blog will remain active and participants will continue to blog about their cycling experiences. Be sure to subscribe via email (see box to the right) to be kept up to date. For your information, this blog has been visited over 4000 times!
On another note, I have made some interesting observations in regards to this challenge that I believe are worth sharing:
1) People will adjust their transportation habits when they are provided with the proper incentives and support: Offering a new bicycle, valued at over $700, proved to be an incentive that worked extremely well in engaging people who might not ever have considered cycling. For example, 10 of the 12 participants in this challenge have never cycled to work before. The incentive is what drew them to participate, but their month long experience is what will adjust their transportation habits in the long term. 100% of participants have stated that they will continue cycling to work after the challenge is over.
2) When people are willing to share their transportation experiences, others take notice: Participants in this challenge were required to blog about their bicycle commuting experiences online at http://bike2work2012.blogspot.ca/. In just one month, the blog has been visited over 4000 times, and many participants have stated that their friends, family, and co-workers have been inspired to try commuting to work by bicycle as well. People trust their friends and family, so the lesson learned here is to motivate people to spread the messaging themselves.
3) Cycling is truly for people from all age groups and walks of life: The demographics of participants in this challenge was quite diverse, and included younger and older professionals, parents, and both urban and suburban residents. Despite the differences between participants, all were committed to cycling to work, and all shared a common positive experience. This reinforces the fact that cycling is so much more than just a sport in which you wear spandex. It is a sustainable mode of transportation that resonates with a significant majority of people.
4) Building partnerships with private and public stakeholders plays an important role in changing people’s transportation habits: Without the generous sponsorship of Ziggy’s Cycle, 12 people would have never been exposed to the many benefits of bicycle commuting. Countless other opportunities exist with the many businesses in Downtown Kitchener, and I believe their involvement will be critical in encouraging people to travel more sustainably.
The following quote was included in the video above: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I… I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.” In this context, cycling is the less travelled by option, and yet it has made all the difference in the lives of the 12 participants. Will the City of Kitchener be transformed into a world-class bicycle friendly city? With more initiatives like this one, I do believe it will.
If you have any questions or comments related to the Bike2Work Challenge, please do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great weekend and safe cycling!
Regards,
Josh Joseph
Transportation Demand Management Coordinator
City of Kitchener, Transportation Services
200 King Street West, Kitchener, ON
P.O. Box 1118 | N2G 4G7
P: 519-741-3400 ext. 3167
F: 519-741-2747
TTY: 1-866-969-9994
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