Windsor Partners with Commute Ontario to Encourage Cycling and Sustainability for Bike Month
The City of Windsor is continuing to take steps to encourage residents to adopt healthy lifestyle changes. In addition to the Walk Wheel Windsor program, this also includes signing on with Commute Ontario, a free-of-charge program designed to encourage residents to consider transportation options such as walking, cycling, carpooling and taking transit. This partnership comes just in time for Commute Ontario’s province-wide cycling campaign, Bike Month Ontario, which takes place throughout the month of June.
Bike Month Ontario is a fun, free campaign aimed at encouraging Ontarians to get out, get cycling and track their trips by logging them online at Active Switch. Active Switch is a free tool that encourages person-powered transportation (cycling, walking, running, etc.), for which participants can set goals and track their positive impact. At the end of the month, SustainMobility (the non-profit that developed the Commute Ontario program) will give away a $500 Sport Chek gift card to one lucky participant.
“The City of Windsor is thrilled to partner with Commute Ontario throughout the Bike Month Ontario campaign and beyond. We are working to improve our active transportation network and promote healthy and eco-friendly means of transportation throughout our community.” – Averil Parent, Environment and Sustainability Coordinator for the City of Windsor
Transportation is a leading contributor of harmful greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in Ontario. With that in mind, Commute Ontario has set a three-year goal of reducing 4-million Kg of GHGs as well as 20-million vehicle kilometres travelled province-wide with the help and commitment of Ontario’s municipalities and residents alike.
“We’ve had such a positive response to Commute Ontario, and the momentum only continues to grow,” added the Executive Director of SustainMobility, Glenn Gumulka. “We’re extremely happy to have Windsor on board, bringing our municipal partner count up to 12, plus an additional 52 workplaces and post-secondary institutions already signed on. We continue to encourage more organizations to get involved.”
Commute Ontario is a turn-key program complete with tools, campaigns and more. In 2018, SustainMobility was the recipient of a three-year “Grow” grant of $710,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), making it possible to offer Commute Ontario’s proven programs such as Active Switch and Carpool Ontario (a carpool ride-matching tool) completely free-of-charge to municipalities, residents, workplaces and post-secondary institutions across the province. The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF awarded more than $120 million to some 700 projects last year to build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario.