The number of registered cyclists for this year’s Bike to Work Week were lower than 2015.
475 cyclists signed up for the annual event, down from 591 last year.
Coordinator Jessy Rajan says there are a few reasons for the drop, none of which involved the weather.
“It’s a bad time of year right now because a lot of the university community is gone. In previous years, it would’ve been a week earlier. Having it a week later, after convocation, had a big impact on the UNBC team which is always the biggest team,” she says.
She adds many solo cyclists without a company team didn’t sign up as individual bikers, meaning the total number could’ve been higher. However, even in the wet weather, she says daily turnout was high.
“Just seeing the number of people that showed up to our celebration stations, despite the rain, I don’t think there was much of a difference.”
There was also a dip in the number of new cyclists this year, down to 118 from 143 in 2015. Regardless, PG Cycling Club Director Kyrke Gaudreau still says the week was a success because there are now more active people.
“The more cyclists you have in a city, the safer it is to be a cyclist in that city because the drivers are more aware of bikes and, a lot of the time, are more respectful of bikers as well,” he says.
Next year, Gaudreau hopes to get more elementary and high school students registered.
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