Cyclists reign supreme in battle for the
rush hour commute | CBC News
from
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cyclists-reign-supreme-in-battle-for-the-rush-hour-commute-1.4674699
as of Tue Oct 30 2018 03:21:00 GMT-0400 (Eastern Summer Time)
HUB Cycling hosts annual Rush Hour Challenge, pitting cyclists against
drivers and transit riders
CBC News . Posted: May 23, 2018 12:49 PM PT | Last Updated: May 23
Cyclists in Vancouver beat public transit riders and drivers during
the annual Rush Hour Challenge, organized by HUB Cycling. (Jonathan
Hayward/Canadian Press)
HUB Cycling pitted cyclists against drivers and public transit
riders in a race to downtown Vancouver as part of their Rush Hour
Challenge.
Teams raced to the corner of Granville and Georgia streets from
different locations across the city. Team members left at the same
time, from the same location, using different modes of transportation:
bikes, cars and public transit.
"All traffic rules apply - everybody coming downtown must park
legally, follow all the rules of the road, and see what is the most
efficient commute," said Tom Skinner, the Bike to Work Week manager
for HUB Cycling.
Commuters share their results and characterize their trip in one
word. (CBC)
Distances ranged from a 1.7-kilometre commute from the West End to a
9.5-kilometre trip from Victoria-Fraserview.
Overall, cyclists emerged with the fastest times and cheapest
commutes - a consistent trend since the challenge began in 2009.
"It tends to be the people on bikes who win most often, just over 70
per cent [of the time]," said Skinner. "A lot of people know that
cycling can be really cost-effective and you get some exercise, but a
lot of people don't know how convenient it can be."
For driver Steve Vanderward, a 3.5-kilometre commute in a car turned
into a lengthy trip, followed by a stressful hunt for parking.
"It took me almost 25 minutes," he said. "Two people on bikes beat
me ... given how I only had one turn to make, I was amazed at how long
it took me."
However, according to HUB Cycling, longer-distance commutes tend to
be a lot more competitive. Previous races held by the organization saw
cyclists, drivers, and public transit riders coming in at similar
times when faced with a 20-kilometre commute.
Results show that cyclists tend to have a leg up on public transit
riders and vehicle drivers when it comes to commuting. (CBC)
Cycling to work is not without its risks. On Wednesday morning, a
cyclist was struck by a vehicle on the Adanac bike route near Clark
Drive. The cyclist was taken to hospital with non-life threatening
injuries.
"For cyclists, [it's important to] slow down a little bit, and obey
traffic laws," said Skinner. "The majority of incidents that happen
out there are speed related, when people are just going a bit too fast
and not paying attention, so it also comes down to some distracted
driving as well."
According to ICBC, six cyclists are injured on the road every day in
B.C. In total, 760 cyclists are injured and seven are killed in car
crashes from June to September every year.
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--
Opinions expressed are personal unless specifically attributed to an organisation
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race
- H.G. Wells
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