In recognition of Bike to Work Week, we share some of our favorite Bike to Work initiatives from Europe, the US, and Canada. If you’re not already biking to work, we hope this inspires you to try commuting by bike or take a ride wherever you like to enjoy the spring weather!
May is National Bike Month in the US. This week, May 12-16, was Bike to Work Week; today, the 16th, is Bike to Work Day. These represent great opportunities to encourage first-time cyclists and get people out of their cars to experience the joy of riding into town on a beautiful spring morning. We’d like to commemorate this triple threat of bike holidays by sharing a few of our favorite bike-to-work initiatives and events from the various markets that Mobycon operates in.
Building on several successful initiatives targeted at students and new cyclists, like the New to Portland ride and Bike Buses for schoolchildren, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has started a monthly set of bike buses for adults who commute to downtown. On every second Wednesday of the month, people gather in nine different locations around the city and bike downtown together to enjoy coffee and pastries at Salmon Springs Fountain before they go to work.
City government employees initiated these bike buses, but the program has become so successful that they’ve decided to open it up to anyone who wants to join. It’s a great way of showing people the contrast with car commuting: the opportunity to start the day with socialization, fresh air, and light exercise instead of sitting in traffic. It also allows new cyclists to ride downtown in the safety of a large group and creates community among bike commuters.
If you’re in Portland, give it a shot at the next one on June 11th! You might even see Justin Timberlake, who joined a Bike Bus in Portland in January this year.
In its 16th year, this program takes place every June in Ottawa. It encourages people to join a team with friends or colleagues and log as many bike trips as possible in June. There’s a prize to be won all 30 days of the month, including bike store gift cards, theater tickets, a new bike, and more.
Let’s Bike Ottawa is a great initiative to get people in the habit of biking every day, and it uses some light competition to help new cyclists bond with their teammates. The event includes workshops on route planning, family cycling, and using cycling infrastructure best. Check out the 2024 Ott-Gat Cycling Network Map for some inspiration. We hope to see you at one of the Let’s Bike events and workshops!
This app, which Mobycon created in partnership with Fietsersbond, encourages people to cycle more with their friends and coworkers. It uses new information about routes and games that challenge people to meet goals. The app can plot routes for various purposes (safe, fast, well-lit) and continuously updates with new crowd-sourced information. If you’re in the Netherlands, we encourage you to try it out and see how it helps you find new ways to incorporate cycling into your life, this month and all year!
Download Toertje here and read more about it in this post on our Dutch blog.
This program in Stavanger, Norway, incentivizes corporate employers to enroll their employees in a combined subscription to the region’s public transport and bikeshare systems. There are tons of success stories on their website from companies who find themselves more desirable as employers and commuters who are surprised to find that cycling to work is more efficient and enjoyable than they thought.
What sets HjemJobbHjem apart is that it doesn’t just offer bus tickets and bikes to participating companies, but a complete set of healthy lunches, lectures, competitions, and campaigns. Employers can even install screens in their offices that show information about nearby public transport and cycling routes. Mobycon is eager to support more holistic cycle-to-work programs like this one across Europe!
Would you like to discuss programs for new cyclists in your city with one of our experts? Contact Angela van der Kloof or Moniek Jansen today!
