THUNDER BAY – There’s more than one way to travel across the city.
That’s the idea behind the Commuter Challenge, a one week initiative held nationally to encourage people to take different modes of transportation to get around.
Adam Krupper, mobility coordinator for City of Thunder Bay, said the Commuter Challenge is designed to get people thinking differently, rather than just driving every day.
“You can bike, you can walk, you can take transit or you can car pool,” he said on Monday at the launch held at city hall.
“Let’s say you just live too far away to ride the whole way. You can drive part way there and then ride or walk the rest of the way. That’s totally doable.”
The campaign, which began on Sunday and runs until Saturday, is a national friendly competition between workplaces, cities and provinces.
People who attended the kickoff arrived at city hall either walked, rode Thunder Bay Transit or took part of a group bike ride from the intersection of Beverly Street and Memorial Avenue.
EcoSuperior program coordinator Julia Prinselaar said 650 individuals and 80 workplaces have registered so far in the city.
“There are a lot of different aspects that are positive about initiatives like the Commuter Challenge,” she said.
“Health wise, it’s recommended to get 150 minutes of physical exercise so this is a great way to build it into your day. As for the environment, approximately 34 per cent of emissions in Thunder Bay are due to transportation so this is a great way to mitigate against that.”
More information about the Commuter Challenge can be found online.
