Bruce Halliday knew what he had to do when he was crammed on a sweaty, overcrowded bus, creeping home from Richmond at a snail's speed on a sweltering summer's evening.
Frustrated, he cut his commute short, got off on Main Street, walked into a cycling store and bought his first bike in years.
That very summer, six years ago, he began a new daily routine - commuting the 25 kilometres by bike from his Deep Cove home to work at Arrow Transportation Systems in Richmond.
"It re-ignited my passion for riding my bike," said Halliday, who had mountain biked and raced BMXs until his previous twowheeler was stolen years ago.
He said his commute has been made easier and more efficient due to bike lanes on some of the major thoroughfares into Richmond.
And as a father of two-year-old twin daughters, he chooses the fastest route rather than the more scenic, meaning travelling along fairly busy roads.
"The less time I spend on the road is more time spent with my family," said Halliday.
"The route feels safe. I haven't had any major accidents yet, knock on wood."
Earlier this summer, TransLink released a regional cycling strategy, citing certain sections of Richmond as having the potential for increased biking due to topography and proximity to transit.
"Richmond's very flat," said TransLink Senior Transportation Planner, Kamala Rao. "It also has the Canada Line and higher density areas, so it has the potential for more cycling networks and paths."
TransLink presents the strategy - to make the Vancouver area globally recognized as a safe, cyclingfriendly city by 2040 - next week to the municipalities for their feedback.
"We're hoping for more funding from the municipalities," said Rao, who emphasized the push toward safer cycling methods. "When devising the strategy, we asked, 'How can we build cycling infrastructure to result in safer transport?'"
Rao said municipalities build, own and maintain transit systems.
Providing appealing bike commutes becomes a cost effective way to improve transportation.
"Most of our projects have been co-funded with the province and other interested partners," said City of Richmond spokesperson Ted Townsend. "Richmond has been pretty active in increasing the cycling network and it's one of the leaders in terms of bike commuting."
TransLink and the provincial and local governments spend about $30 million per year on cycling facilities, which is less than one per cent of total transportation spending in Metro Vancouver, according to the report.
When planning recent transportation projects such as the Canada Line, TransLink made sure there were lockers at every stop going south from Olympic Village.
"When building the Canada Line, we wanted to encourage
more bike parking rather than more bikes on the train," said program manager Helen Cook of the one bike maximum per car, acknowledging this system primarily benefits those on return trips. "We were more concerned with fitting more passengers on the trains."
With more bikers on the road, TransLink also hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years.
For Halliday, all it took was two weeks to get into his routine.
At around 6: 30 a.m., he mounts his Kona Honky Inc. - a top of the line commuter bike - and is ready for the 50-minute trek into Richmond, only about ten minutes longer than if he chose to drive.
"It's pretty darn close to driving," said Halliday who only insures his 1987 Volvo GLE for two months in the winter. "As soon as there's a snarl up in traffic, the bike becomes the more efficient option."
Travelling at 28 km/hr, the ride "gets sweaty."
Halliday has a change of clothes - one set of everything - at the office. Fortunately, the building is also equipped with showers.
"It really helps if the destination has the appropriate facilities," said Halliday. "For me, the commute is about getting my heart racing, so I'm going pretty fast. I need to shower at the end of it."
Halliday taps into an important deterrent for people who want to bike to work. TransLink proposes proper end-of-trip facilities that have "places to change, shower, and hang clothes to dry," according to their strategy.
These facilities also include secure bike parking at the end of trips such as on the street racks or lockers when the cyclist plans to leave for a longer period of time.
While improved cycling systems are cost-effective for both TransLink and cyclists, Halliday also chooses cycling to maintain his physical health and relieve stress. If there isn't snow on the ground, he always picks two wheels over four.
"I enjoy the solitude, the time to think by myself," said Halliday. "If it's a stressful day, I can push on the pedals harder, make myself go faster, and get it all out of my system before I get home."
But Halliday does have some concerns about cycling in the Lower Mainland.
"There's an extreme lack of education about how to ride safely," said Halliday. "It boggles my mind how oblivious some kids are when they weave through busy streets, texting and not paying attention."
TransLink wants to work with the Canadian Cycling Association to adopt a skills training standard as well as to incorporate training into the core elementary school curriculum.
Such proposals benefit Richmond, which has the highest proportion of school trips made by bike in the Lower Mainland at 3.5 per cent.
Halliday's daughters are already scooting around on push bikes and, with a father who cycles between 240-260 kilometres per week, bike safety will be ingrained in them by the time they hit school age.
"Traffic safety is paramount," said Halliday. "Because once you're safer, biking is definitely the better choice. You need to be cognizant about what's around you and you end up seeing things you wouldn't normally see when driving a car in autopilot. Your heart is racing, blood pumping, fresh air is going into your lungs.
You can feel the elements on your skin."
Halliday laughs, "I'm clearly addicted to riding my bicycle."
