Commuter race shows the cycle can beat the car to work

Two wheels proved to be better than four in the inaugural Green Party Commuter Challenge race to work, held today to mark International Car Free Day.

“We set out to find out which was the quickest way to get to work, and in two out of three races the cycle won out over the car,” Greens Wellington Transport spokesperson Sue Kedgely says.

Teams of competitors using different modes of transport set off at the same time from three different suburbs to see which mode of transport got them to Midland Park on Lambton Quay first.

“In two out of three cases cyclists arrived ahead of their car driving colleagues and those taking the bus or train.”

In the only victory for the car Wellington City Councillor Ray Ahipene-Mercer drove his car from Wellington Airport in 20 minutes. Fellow councillor Celia Wade-Brown, who took the bus arrived 10 minutes later at the same time as Patrick Morgan and Illona Keenan who cycled into a stiff head wind.

On the Johnsonville run, Sridar Ekambaram cycled the route from Johnsonville Railway Station in 20 minutes, three minutes quicker than driver Adrian Bathgate and a whole 10 minutes faster than our train commuter Michael Pringle.

Travelling from Karori Shopping Centre was also faster by cycle with Stephen Knight making the trip in eight minutes and Suri Meuws and Paul Bruce doing it in 10. Spencer Chubb, who took the bus, took 19 minutes, while motorist Caroline Scott took 26. Wellington City Councillor Andy Foster opted to jog and made the journey in 14 minutes, however, he chose to start at the city end of Karori instead of the mall.

Ms Kedgley waited at the end point in Midland Park and handed out pamphlets and organic apples to passing commuters to mark the day.

“The event was a huge success and just goes to show that taking your car to work is not necessarily the fastest way,’ Ms Kedgley says.

# posted by gareth @ 11:47 AM