Data Blog
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Bike to WorkPublished: ()
May 19th, 2017, is Bike to Work Day in Canada! Across North America, May and June are the designated Bike to Work months. Annually, throughout spring, cities across Canada hold a Bike to Work Week or Day. For everyone who can’t wait to dust off their bikes this spring, we want to tell you about BikeMaps.org - use it to plan your routes and avoid traffic, in order to stay safe and improve your health!
But first, let’s look at the numbers:
Modes of Transportation
According to the 2011 census, of 15.4 million workers travelling to and from their place of work, approximately:
- 12.3 million people drive
- 1.9 million use public transportation
- 900 000 walk
- 200 000 bike
22.2%
Biking to work is a great way to reach the recommended amount of physical activity (150 minutes a week). Right now, only 22.2% of Canadians are reaching it. [Physical Activity Guidelines]
44.4%
Having a workplace that facilitates active transportation is important. For example, 44.4% of Canadian adults say they have access to a shower in their workplaces. Having access to showers and change rooms is a supportive resource for those wanting to bike to work or engage in lunch-time physical activity. [Physical Activity Guidelines]
15 min x 2
Did you know that it only takes a 15 minute bike ride twice a day, five days a week to meet your weekly amount of active time? Even if you can’t bike every day, using active transportation can be a solid foundation for getting your weekly physical activity. Make better use of the time that you would have otherwise spent in traffic! [Physical Activity Guidelines]
What is BikeMaps.org?
Recently, the Public Health Agency of Canada funded the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) to expand BikeMaps.org: A citizen web-mapping surveillance tool for safe and accessible bicycling and healthy living promotion.
BikeMaps.org is an interactive mapping tool used by riders in different cities around Canada and the world. Riders can record places around their city where there have been collisions or where they feel other riders should be cautious (near-misses). It lets you plan your route to avoid dangerous areas. As May is Bike to Work month, safety is top of mind. Apps like the one produced by BikeMaps.org are extremely useful to keep all riders safe. Better yet, the data can be used to inform urban planning!
What’s Going on?
- Ottawa: May is Bike to Work Month
- Calgary: May 5th is Bike to Work Day
- Toronto: May 29th is Bike to Work Day
- Montreal: From May 29th to June 2nd is Bike to Work Week
- Vancouver: From May 29th to June 4th is Bike to Work Week
- Halifax: From June 2nd to June 11th is Bike Week