Discovering New Cycling Routes
For many years, Anthony Williams has been a committed cyclist, biking to work, for errands and in free time for fun and exercise. When the Olympics hit Vancouver, he wasn't sure if the Games would impact his ability to get around or not. With planned road closures, rumours of grid-locked traffic day and night, and millions of people on the streets, Anthony was prepared for the worse. However, he was quickly pleasantly surprised!
During the Games, Vancouverites truly committed to being TravelSmart, taking transit, walking and cycling, which resulted in a 36% reduction of traffic on our roads. Designated pedestrian and bike routes during the Olympics also opened up new routes for people to get around town. For Anthony, this was the greatest surprise, as he suddenly found new areas he could bike that he hadn't considered before.
Now, I regularly use the Hastings HOV lane as a faster, easier route for my commute.
"I remember discovering how quick and easy it was to get downtown riding in the HOV lane on Hastings. I didn't know if it was a designated bike lane before the Games, as I'd always used the bike path on Adanac - which is a low-traffic route, but can be relatively slow. Now, I regularly use the Hastings HOV lane as a faster, easier route for my commute."
Over the past year, approximately 50% of work trips to downtown Vancouver are made by transit, walking or cycling, with a whopping 60,000 bike trips made each day. Many Vancouverites discovered new and surprising ways to get around during the Olympics, and they've continued to embrace these transportation options in their daily life.
Interested in cycling for your commute to work, but don't know how to start? Try these tips:
Getting Started
- Route: Use the Cycle Trip Planner or Google Maps to plan out the best route for you. Consider such elements as density of traffic, designated bike lanes, your comfort level with hills or more challenging areas such as inclines, unpaved paths or construction areas.
- Bike: Depending on your route, select the right bike for the terrain you'll encounter on your commute. Is your route fully paved and flat? Are you interested in riding local trails that may mean dirt or gravel paths? Will you be travelling up many hills? For those who've already invested in a bike, map out a route that will be easiest for you and the bike you have.
- Equipment: Safety is essential for all cyclists, so make sure to invest in a good helmet, lights and reflective gear so that others can see you when riding at dusk or dark. Also consider whether you want to invest in cycling clothes such as breathable materials to help keep you cool, or rain resistant materials to keep you dry during rainy commutes. And depending on your bike, you may want to get shoes with clips for more control, racks and bike bags for storing your things and a fender to key water from splashing up from your tire.
- Safety: Take a cycling safety course from your local bike store or community centre to become fully aware of all signals, right of way road rules and other considerations to make your commute as safe as possible.
Once At Work
- Security: Does your company offer a secure area to lock up your bike? If not, consider using TransLink Bike Lockers available at many SkyTrain stations throughout Metro Vancouver.
- Cleaning Up: If your company doesn't offer its own shower and locker facilities for you to clean up and store your cycling clothes upon arrival, consider using a local gym or facilities such as YMCA or community centre. You'll definitely want the opportunity to tidy up before stepping into your work clothes for the day.
- Clothing: Keep your business clothes at the office to change into once you arrive and minimize what you need to carry to work. And in case of any unforeseen weather changes, consider also keeping spare cycling clothes at work, such as spare shirts, socks. pants/shorts and/or jackets. You can help minimize riding home in wet gear if caught in the rain, add an extra layer if temperatures drop, or change to thinner gear to prevent overheating due to sudden sun.
Did we miss any important tips for cycling for your commute? Or do you have a story to share about changing up your cycling route? Use our comments area below to tell us about your biking experiences!