Cycle to Work Day

cycle to work this ‘transport month’ | urban sprout:


'via Blog this'


"Cycle to Work Day" here in Cape Town occurs roughly every month, and is supported by the Pedal Power Association, the Bicycle Empowerment Network, and various other organised cycling clubs.


Recent "Cycle to Work day's" have taken place on the 7th of September and 19th of October 2011, with more to follow roughly the same time each month.


My take on the purpose of the initiative is to increase the visibility of those of us who love bikes and are lucky enough to be able to make the trip to work on two wheels. Increasing the profile of cycle commuters will encourage others to join the movement, enhance safety (not because there's safety in numbers and the weak riders will be picked off first, but because 10 riders are harder to ignore in traffic than 1!), and ultimately convince the authorities that cycle commuting is a legitimate alternative worthy of resources.


I am lucky enough to walk to work along the fan walk, from St George's right through to central Green Point, and on my stroll I see cyclists daily. What is even more encouraging to me is that the number of cycle commuters is definitely increasing - there's absolutely no question about it. There are some amazing bikes sharing the route with me, from well crafted fixies to very charming retro bikes and everything in between. As an interested bystander, I would readily conclude that cycle commuting in our beloved Cape Town is gaining traction.


The beneficial effects of cycling to work, on both the rider and the traffic that is spared, speak for themselves. We here in the Mother City are truly fortunate that the infrastructure has been laid out for us already, virtually on a silver platter, and it's now up to the cycling community to follow through by supporting initiatives like these and showing the rest of the public that an alternative to heavy traffic is out there.