More people participated in this year’s Go By Bike Week (GBBW) than ever before. The week took place between May 27 to June 1.
“I think it was the weather that really turned it around for Prince George,” said Dane Greenwell, GBBW coordinator while presenting at last night’s (July 15) city council meeting. “We are one of the northernmost communities for Go By Bike Week with a large number and in the past year we’ve had quite a bit of rain.”
This year’s Go by Bike Week (formerly Bike to Work Week) has 883 riders, 262 teams and 486 new riders.
Participants logged 2,527 trips clocking 38, 132 total kms, burning 1,143,916 calories, and saving 8,267 GHGs.
Whereas in 2018, 654 rides clocked 15,941 km representing a 35 per cent increase this year.
Despite the success, Geenwell says he noticed some confusion around the branding change from Bike to Work Week.
“We were in a transitional year,” says Greenwell. “We were Bike-to-Work Week and now we are Go by Bike Week in British Columbia which is more inclusive, and I think that it had some confusion for people who might want to participate, but overall it was very successful.”
As a part of Go By Bike week, local Prince George mother name Lindsey recorded a video showing how she commutes with her young daughter.
Next year also marks the ten-year anniversary of Go By Bike Week.
“Next year is ten years, so we need to ride this momentum,” says Greenwell. “This was the highest number of participants we’ve had and next year I want to hit a thousand people and I think I can make that happen.”
