A national campaign aiming to get people to explore more sustainable ways of getting about is underway in Kingston. The annual commuter challenge, which pushes for people to park their cars and opt to walk, cycle, ride-share or bus began on June 2 and ends on June 8.
“Kingston has always had a really robust group of people who have joined in the challenge. It’s a national challenge and it’s designed to get people about the ways they can leave their vehicles behind and take other modes of transportation around the city,” said Wendy Stephen, a city councillor and board member of Sustainable Kingston.
As part of the challenge, workplaces and individuals can log their efforts online at http://www.commuterchallenge.ca
According to Sustainable Kingston, 25 workplaces partook in the challenge last year, including 360 registered individuals. Close to 16,000 kms were logged and about 1,200 litres of fuel were saved.
“I bike a lot, I walk whenever I can. For longer distances, I take the bus,” said Julian Del Campl, adding that while it’s easy for him to not rely on a car as he lives downtown, the same can’t be said for everyone else.
“I think it’s not just the lack of willingness to do it. Kingston in general is not a very walkable city. There are not a lot of bike paths. It’s just not very friendly for pedestrians.”
Stephen, an advocate of the campaign, noted that the challenge itself can help people do more to reduce their carbon footprint. This, she said, can be achieved if people play their part in combatting climate change.
“The more we can choose other modes of transit, the better we can protect our climate, have positive impacts on our emissions and we can also improve our health too,” Stephen said.