Are you taking the commuter challenge?
It's almost time for the annual Commuter Challenge.
It's a friendly competition between Canadian cities to promote active and sustainable transportation and get people to leave their vehicles parked during the week of June 5-11.
Biking, walking, take a bus or ride-sharing with others to get around are all alternatives to driving.
The Rainbow Routes Association is encouraging residents in Sudbury to participate in the challenge.
Executive director Daniel Barette said they're hoping to get 400 people signed up locally.
That would be about 150 more participants than were signed up from Sudbury during last year's Commuter Challenge.
Sudbury ranked 5th in 2015
"We raised the bar a little bit from the past, but basically we ranked fifth in Ontario and now we're trying to aim for higher," Barette said.
He said Sudbury is in the same rank as Ottawa, and a few other bigger cities, however Barette said we are behind Thunder Bay.
Thunder Bay has ranked first for several years now.
Barette said that's due to that Northern Ontario city showing an increase in participants.
He encourages newcomers to the challenge to try it out for the first time and perhaps adopt this lifestyle in the future.
Barette called Sudbury a great city in which to bike.
"Cyclists just need to find the routes that work for them."
Challenge tracks community impacts
The commuter challenge is also meant to track collective and individual impacts in each community.
Barette said statistics are important to get policy makers to recognize how many people use these alternatives to driving.
"It's about changing habits"
"It's about breaking up your routine...and trying something new...It's about changing habits."
Those interested in participating in the challenge can sign up with an organization or as an individual, at commuterchallenge.ca
Barette says Rainbow Routes has prizes to give away during the challenge.
