Rather than getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of traffic, cyclist Roland Hudson鈥攁ssistant professor in the School of Architecture and the winner of AV俱乐部鈥檚 first workplace Commuter Challenge鈥攑refers to zip around.
The countrywide, workplace Commuter Challenge 2011 was launched during Canada鈥檚 Environment Week this summer - June 5-11. Across the country, 1,203 workplaces registered for the Commuter Challenge, including AV俱乐部.
During the week, 27,767 Canadians participated in the challenge by using various modes of sustainable transportation, tracking their travel and entering the data into their account on the Commuter Challenge website. At the end of the week the AV俱乐部 Office of Sustainability tallied the kilometers traveled, CO2 emissions avoided and calories burned among the AV俱乐部 participants.
AV俱乐部 boasted 137 participants in the challenge 鈥� the most of any registered workplace in Nova Scotia. The AV俱乐部 Office of Sustainability awarded Dr. Hudson with the grand-prize of a $50 gift certificate to Mountain Equipment Co-op. Four runners-up also received prizes: Karen O鈥橫alley (biomedical engineering masters student), Claire Campbell (history professor), Helmuth聽Thomas (oceanography professor) and Carl Helmick (commuter programmer for the Department of Psychiatry).
Making the sustainable trek
For Dr. Hudson, cycling just makes sense. 鈥淚f I drove my car it would take longer and I would arrive feeling like I just wasted part of my day,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he feeling of passing stationary traffic, each car with a single person, is incredible and the obvious time-saving adds to the pleasure of riding.鈥�
Runners-up Dr. Thomas and Mr. Helmick both commute from Dartmouth by bike. They personally find that the time commitment of cycling is comparable to driving, at least during peak hours. And even those who prefer slower modes of active transportation can enjoy their journey: Dr. Campbell walks back and forth to AV俱乐部 from the North End of Halifax. Aside from days when it鈥檚 pouring rain, she insists, 鈥渢here鈥檚 no better commute. It takes time, but it鈥檚 a good kind of time.鈥�
Dr. Hudson finds that his 50-minute bike ride provides a perfect transition between home and work, or work and home. 鈥淚 arrive after my journey usually feeling refreshed and ready to work, or ready to eat and relax at home,鈥� he says.
Ms. O鈥橫alley, a biomedical engineering master鈥檚 student, is a cyclist who takes the bus during rainy or cold weather. She uses her bike whenever she can, 鈥渆specially when it is warm鈥�, she says. 鈥淚t is another way for me to spend time outside and burn a few calories to make up for the ice cream.鈥�
Combined, AV俱乐部 participants burned a total of 161,768 calories during the Commuter Challenge week by engaging in active transportation. They saved a combined 745 litres of fuel by traveling without their car, or by carpooling in some cases. They travelled 11,365 kilometres while avoiding 1,829 kilograms of CO2 emissions.
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Register now, for the new 2011 Campus Commuter Challenge for students!
The creators of the National Commuter Challenge have launched a new transportation challenge that is directed at students. The 2011 Campus Commuter Challenge will run from Monday, Oct. 24 to Friday, Oct. 28. Each student who participates adds to AV俱乐部鈥檚 percent of participation. The Canadian university with the highest percent of participation in their size category wins.
It is very easy to register. You can sign up online at . Remember to select 鈥楢V俱乐部鈥� as your school. During the week you will need to sign in each day to track the distances you travel and your mode of transportation. At the end of the week each participant will receive the impact data associated with the types of transportation methods they used.
The AV俱乐部 Office of Sustainability will award prizes to the AV俱乐部 participants most committed to using sustainable modes of transportation during the week.