Cycle to work day 2020

Today is Cycle to Work Day. And with more and more people looking for an alternative commute to work, is the pandemic ushering in a golden age of cycling?

Government data shows that cycling levels increased by up to 300% some days during the lockdown. And now, as we return to work, but look to avoid public transport, it's likely the numbers will still remain high.

Choosing to cycle to work brings with it a number of benefits for not only your own health, but the health of the planet too. It’s pretty obvious that ditching the car for a bike is going to reduce your carbon footprint, but you could also be reducing other people’s carbon footprint too; by taking your car off the road in rush hour, you’re cutting the time everyone else has to queue. A car on a congested road can produce as much as three times the amount of CO2 as the same car traveling at a steady speed.

If you’re thinking about taking up a cycling commute you might want to consider:

Planning your route in advance and testing out your journey first.
Making sure you know which way you’re going will stop you panicking on the day, leaving you flustered once you arrive at the office - and you’re less likely to take a wrong turn!

Choosing a quiet working day to cycle
Especially when you’re starting out, you might want to choose to cycle on a day when you don’t have any meetings. Or at least no meetings for an hour or so once you get into work. This will reduce the pressure you feel while on your way in.

Asking a friend to cycle with you
At Bruntwood, we’ve started a ‘cycle bezzie’ scheme, encouraging seasoned cyclists to buddy up with cycle newbies to provide them with support on their journeys to and from work.

The pandemic has changed the world unfathomably, but we have the opportunity to bring about real change and create a more sustainable future - for our people and the planet.

We believe that we must invest in a green recovery from the pandemic. And creating sustainable travel infrastructure will be a key part of that.

Sustainability and workplace wellbeing has always been central to Bruntwood’s philosophy and a key consideration in all of our workspaces. More than 75 per cent of our buildings have secure bike storage and shower facilities and at Circle Square in Manchester we’re incorporating a total of 1,000 bicycle spaces.

We know that as a business we are in privileged position of being able to help create beautiful, liveable, walkable cities. But we can’t do this alone and sustainable transport infrastructure must be a priority for our local authorities.