Friday, September 13, 2013

Sept 16-22 is Sustainable Transportation Week in Ottawa

Next week September 16 - 22 is Sustainable Transportation Week in Ottawa! I`m sure you can guess what form of sustainable transportation I`ll use.

This year Ottawa won Share the Road Cycling Coalition`s Gold Bicycle Friendly Community Award. It is a big deal, the first gold awarded after all. While I think that there is still a lot of room for improvement in Ottawa`s bicycle network and over all friendliness, lets focus on the positive. 
Using a combination of off road paths, community streets and occasionally unavoidable main arterial roads. It is possible to traverse the entire municipal area by bike. Make no mistake this is no compact European town.

Despite this the average work commute in Ottawa is merely 8.1 kilometres. O.K, among the longest in Canada, still a bike-able distance no mater your fitness level. The cool autumn temps are perfect for a casual morning ride. So, why not give it a try? Even just once. that is all it takes to enter the envirocentre`s contest. Of course I`m biased toward the bike, but there are other options available, walking, public transport even car-pooling. 
So why not get involved? You may even discover a new more enjoyable way to get around the sprawling Ottawa city.