Switch up your Mode of Transportation: Join The Commuter Challenge
May 29, 2019
By Vanessa Masters
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Neil Irvine, Contract Procurement Specialist for the Northern Supply Chain at the Hospital, rides the bus every day. He is able to save time by not having to search for a parking spot or scrape the ice off his car. Join Neil in the 2019 Commuter Challenge! |
The Commuter Challenge encourages Canadians to leave their vehicles at home and explore different ways to get around. Trying new modes of getting to and from work, other than driving alone, promotes sustainable transportation and reduced air pollution. Choosing an active way to commute, such as walking or cycling, has benefits too: increased cardiovascular fitness; muscular strength and endurance; and reduced risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
Last year, over 75 different workplaces registered in this friendly competition including 110 participants from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. This year, the Commuter Challenge is taking place the week of June 2 to 8, and our Hospital is challenging you to participate! Try out some of the more common modes of transportation during the commuter challenge:
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Carpooling happens when people drive together – a driver and at least one other person who could otherwise be driving separately. This alternative mode of transportation saves greenhouse gas emissions and could lead to gas money savings as well!
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Walking is the most popular form of physical activity and is a great way to enjoy nature and clear your head at the beginning or end of a work day.
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Cycling is faster than walking if you live a litter further away from your workplace but is still a great form of exercise. There are many recreational trails and cycling lanes throughout the city to help you get to your destination. For more information on cycling programs in Thunder Bay, visit ecosuperior.org and click on “programs” then “active transportation”.
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Transit is great option as just one transit bus can replace up to 45 vehicles, helping to reduce both air pollution and road traffic. The City of Thunder Bay Transit department will have a number of free transit passes available during the week of the Commuter Challenge this year.
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Additional active modes of transportation include inline skating, skateboarding, or riding your scooter. All of these modes can help improve physical fitness and allow you to spend more time outside!
Neil Irvine, Contract Procurement Specialist for the Northern Supply Chain at the Hospital, takes transit or cycles to work every day. “Commuting to work is a great option as it saves the time normally spent looking for a parking spot or scraping the ice off my windshield in the winter,” says Irvine.
Join Neil and many others in this year’s Commuter Challenge! Take the challenge June 2-8 and switch up your mode of transportation. For more information about the Commuter Challenge, or to register yourself and your workplace, visit www.commuterchallenge.ca.