It’s the first week of the 2021 Aotearoa Bike Challenge! The Bike Auckland crew are all signed up and eagerly logging our rides.
Run throughout February by Auckland Transport and Waka Kotahi, the Challenge aims to encourage organisations to travel to work more sustainably. All you have to do is score points by logging your rides on the website, and you’re in to win $18,000 worth of prizes! What a way to enjoy February’s fantastic weather.
In last year’s challenge, participants collectively cycled nearly 4.5 million kilometres through more than 320,000 trips by bike. Let’s make another record this year!
“As well as the reduction in pollution, more people on bikes means more people-friendly communities, less congestion, and less noise pollution.” says Robyn Elston, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s Senior Manager System Design.
We know that riding a bike feels like freedom, and many more people discovered that during lockdown. “After an increase in riding seen during the COVID-19 alert level 4 lockdown, many new and occasional riders are looking at how they can integrate cycling into their lives to keep the benefits they rediscovered. The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is a good opportunity to kickstart some good habits,” Ms Elston says.
