Biking can be intimidating for new riders who wish to commute sustainably to and from campus. During 2022, the University of Waterloo wants to encourage all experience and new riders to sign up for TravelWise's bikepool program. This program supports new riders learning from experienced riders in travelling and commuting in our community.
The University's goal is to increase the proportion of sustainable commuting trips to 90% from 2016 baseline of 85% by 2025.
To enter to win one of the prizes listed below, staff, students and faculty
BikePool Challenge
Are you ready to be apart of the challenge?
- Join TravelWise! Staff, faculty, and students can join the University of Waterloo private user group by signing up with their @uwaterloo.ca or @edu.uwaterloo.ca email. Visit the links below to register:
- Staff and Faculty: UWaterloo Employee Group
- Students: UWaterloo Students Group
- Save your commute with the Bikepool Program
- Enter your desired commute destination.
- Use TravelWise to help find a match. If at first you don’t find a match, save, save, save. Be sure to save your commute information so other people can find you. Keep in mind that you can click on the star next to your commute description to save the information. Make sure you select "Everyone" from the dropdown box asking who you want to share the trip with to increase your chance of finding a buddy.
- Be sure to select 'Bikepool' button when trying to save in the pop-up menu.
- By saving your commute and selecting 'bikepool', you will be automatically entered to win a prize!
BONUS: Share your progress on social media using #LetsRideTogetherUW
Prizes
Everyone who signs up will be entered for a chance to win a prize!
Prizes include
- 1 of $100.00 Gift Card to King City Cycles
- 2 of $50.00 Gift Card to MEC
- 2 of Cycling Swag Bags worth up to $30.00
- 10 of $10.00 WAT Card Top Offs
GoTravelWise's Bikepool Program
Bikepool is a program hosted by TravelWise that allows staff students and faculty to plan their trips and find potential bikpool partners to ride with. The goal is to pair experienced cyclists with new cyclists to build up confidence and community.
What is bikepool?
A bikepool is an arrangement between two or more commuters to share the bicycle ride to work or school. Commonly, the most experienced rider in the group will act as the leader and will help newer riders find the safest route to their destination and ride along for the shared portions of their trip. When you're posting a Bikepool, make sure you note whether you are a new bike-commuter or an experienced rider so that you can match up with others easier.
How can I find a bikepool match?
Select Bikepool under Commute Interest when saving a trip and this information will be shared with other travelers who are searching for bikepool partners with a similar origin and destination. You can search for potential matches by using the Bike mode in the trip planner, then selecting the Bikepools tab.
Once you have found a match, reach out! When you message a bikepool owner, they'll be able to email you back directly (using the email associated with your TravelWise account). And once you have made contact, we recommend setting a preliminary meeting. Go for coffee or lunch with your match to make sure it’s a good fit. If it feels like it might work, give it a try.