Yesterday morning the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition organized a challenge for commuters. Who is faster and happier: Cyclists? Drivers? or Transit Users? Seven teams made their way from all over Metro Vancouver to the South Plaza at Library Square to compare results. It was an exciting way to start the day and there were great speeches too (including a warm welcome from Phil Hall).
Our team was awesome! Coming from Kits, Christina drove in and it took her 17 minutes. Her enjoyment level was low because she was frustrated with bridge traffic which slowed her down. Kay, cycling, arrived a mere 4 minutes later (21 minutes) and her enjoyment level was very high: it was smooth sailing all the way. (By the way, Kay is missing a major ligament in her knee so to nearly tie with Christina in the car is astonishing.) Finally, Delia travelled by bus and arrived last (35 minutes). Her enjoyment level was moderate as there were two unexpected and annoying delays along the way.
Out of the seven teams in the Challenge, four of the cyclists beat or tied with the cars. In all teams, the cyclists beat the transit riders and were happier too!
So, the moral of the story is…if you haven’t tried it already, why not enjoy the rush hour and ride your bike?
If you do ride next week, remember to register and log your bicycle commutes forBike to Work Week (May 31 – June 6):
Here are some photos of the event taken by Ken Ohrn (these will expire in 30 days).
Please note: The Pedal Pushers are very aware that not everyone can ride a bike to work! However, if more people who can ride their bike, do ride their bike, the traffic will improve not only for the cyclists, but also for those who have to drive or take transit. Bicycles make cities better.
—Dana Putnam on behalf of the Pedal Pushers