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Bike week encourages more Charlottetown residents to explore cycling

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It has been bike week in Charlottetown and a local group has partnered with the city, trying to get more people to ditch four wheels for two.

Charlottetown and Bike Friendly Communities PEI put on the bike friendly block party Saturday to wrap up the city’s annual bike week.

The whole week is dedicated to bringing more novice cyclists into the fold.

"If you don’t bike very much, maybe you’ve got a bike in your garage for the last 20 years you haven’t picked up, or maybe you’re a kid and you’re not that confident, or maybe you’re a senior and you want to try it out again, that’s perfect," said Mitch Underhay, executive director of Bike Friendly Communities. "That’s the people we want to reach."

Bike friendly events have been happening all week, including cooperation with bike friendly businesses, and displays on the history of cycling.

It also comes on the heels of a recent provincial government announcement offering $100 rebates on bicycles and a $500 rebate for ebikes.

"I think it’s a great measure," said Michele Beaton, MLA for Mermaid Stratford. "It removes a financial barrier for people to get out on their bikes, and it’s not always the easiest thing for somebody to go and get their family new bikes at the store, so I think it’s a great way to remove that financial barrier."

All these things are part of the province’s and city’s goals to become greener, get drivers out of their cars, and encourage people to make bikes a bigger part of Island life.

Charlottetown’s Mayor, an avid cyclist himself, says now’s the right time.

"Everyone has been talking about this today, about the cost of fuel," said Mayor Philip Brown, City of Charlottetown. "It’s probably the best time to start promoting more and more cycling within our city."

Brown says biking and all other forms of active transport go hand in hand, and they want to see more of all the ways people travel without cars.

Underhay says they've got a similar goal; to get people to trade car trips for bike rides.

"I’m saving the environment, there’s less CO2. I’m getting exercise. I’m not taking up parking. I’m not burning gas, which is cheaper for me, so there’s all kinds of benefits," said Underhay. "If everyone does that, replaces just a few trips from cars and puts them on bikes, then we’ll all have a better time."

This event tries to drive home that biking is for everybody, kids, casual cyclist, even serious commuters, and, with climate on everyone’s mind, it’s a great reminder you don’t need to jump in the car to get where you’re going, you can take a bike.

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