During a brutal week of smog alerts and intense heat, it appears some folks may have driven their cars or stayed at home. Even so, the 15th annual London Bicycle Festival and 11th annual Commuter Challenge (June 5-12) hosted by Thames Region Ecological Association (TREA) was well received and enjoyed by many. Participants demonstrated their support by attending a number of events that encouraged Londoners to leave their cars at home, get on their bicycles, walk, take the bus and help save the environment.

The Bicycle Festival and Commuter Challenge over the years continues to expand with new partnerships to promote other events. This year in particular, TREA was proud to be a part of London’s annual Downtown Fun & Fitness Walk in which over 400 Londoners participated. This walk is hosted by several downtown companies as a worksite based Active Living initiative.

A total of 942 Londoners, participating from 50 different London companies travelled 41,866 km for a total of 1,899 car free days or the equivalent to a reduction of 11.78 T of greenhouse gas emissions. This is great news considering London’s poor air quality and the increasing number of smog alert days this year.