Living in one of Canada’s most bike-able cities has its perks: great routes, optimal weather, and short distances. The annual Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week takes place at the end of May and Camosun is set to promote, celebrate, and engage the campus community in creative ways. But the conversation doesn’t stop there: year-round initiatives on campus promote sustainable transportation options.
Bike to Work Week 2013 takes place May 27Đ31 at Camosun and will feature daily events aimed to inspire biking as a transportation choice. If you’re on campus during Bike to Work Week you can expect to see and participate in daily celebrations of cycling: a haiku poetry contest, a film festival, free breakfast, a bicycle repair workshop, and more.
All cyclists know the real fun isn’t in arriving at the destination, but in getting there, and every kilometre counts during Bike to Work Week.
Over 400 teams have been registered in Greater Victoria; last year’s Camosun teams logged a collective 3982 km. In fact, a team from the Pacific Institute for Sport Excellence took the top prize, for a distance of almost 900 km.
Individual distances, as well as team distances and size, will be ranked and awarded prizes. Anyone wishing to join or start a team can e-mail cam-motion@camosun.bc.ca for more information.
For those who regularly bike to campus, you’ll probably need to lock up. Cycling infrastructure to accommodate an increasing number of bikes on campus has been discussed for several years, with gradual upgrades appearing at both campuses.
A definite benefit to cyclists are the new “bike hospital” stations, which offer air pumps and tools to keep your bike healthy. The mysterious bike compound at the Lansdowne campus offers students longer-term and higher-security storage.
As the campus population grows, and the cost of parking rises, the future Camosun will hopefully offer an increased number of free covered bike parking spaces.