Go by Bike Week has returned after a three-year COVID break, with 462 teams and 2,484 individual riders signed up by Monday.
“It’s really great — we’ve missed that,” said Capital Bike events manager Jordan Glowicki.
Participants are encouraged to travel by bike as much as possible this week and log the number of kilometres they travel at logmyride.gobybike.bc for a chance to win prizes, including a grand prize of a cycling trip to the Netherlands. Taking the bus to where your bike ride starts also counts, as does travelling via rollerblades and scooters.
The event used to be called Bike to Work Week but the name was changed a few years ago to broaden the scope beyond commuters.
The week’s activities, which began Monday, continue until Sunday. “Celebration stations” where cyclists can gather are being set up twice a day around the region, said Glowicki, including stations in Colwood and Langford and one at the Oak Bay Tea Party, set for 4-6 p.m. Friday.
A first-time, wrap-up block party will be held Sunday in Fernwood Square from 11 a.m.-2 p.m, Glowicki said.
“It’s a family-friendly event,” she said. “We’ve got bike vendors, we’ve got kids’ entertainment, we’ve got a kids’ bike ride, bike decorating, lots of food.”
Go By Bike Week’s return means the resurrection of the Commuter Challenge, which pits cyclists against motorists. Cyclists beat motorists to the finish line at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in 16 of the 22 races May 19, she said.
“They all started at different locations around town,” Glowicki said. She said cyclists can gain an advantage “just by not getting stuck in traffic and not having to loop the block to find parking.”
The City of Victoria marked the start of Go By Bike Week with a Monday announcement that finishing touches are going in on seven new cycling corridors for all ages and abilities, including routes on Kings Road, Haultain Street and Richardson Street, along with connector routes into the Oaklands, Fernwood and North Park neighbourhoods.
Protected bike lanes have also been installed on Government Street between Pandora Avenue and Gorge Road East.
The corridors include accessibility and safety improvements, and features like benches and plazas.
“Taking a complete street approach to improving road safety benefits our community,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps in a statement. “Whether it is a new traffic signal to help people cross a busy intersection, new trees to grow our urban forest or adding speed humps to encourage slower, shared streets, these investments are another step towards achieving our goals of increasing livability and equity and reducing traffic fatalities and injuries.”
Glowicki applauded the changes.
“It’s really awesome there are so many options for routes and things now around town.”
The city and Capital Regional District Traffic Safety Foundation are working together on programs this summer to help the public get familiar with the new corridors, including events such as free community bike rides.
Throughout Go By Bike Week, cyclists who use the bike racks at the front of the bus or show their bike helmets while boarding will get free B.C. Transit bus rides.
B.C. Transit is a partner in Go By Bike Week.
For further information on the week, visit gobybikebc.ca or capitalbike.ca.
