February 16, 2024
Town of Sidney creates take-home bike repair kits to encourage active transportation
Sidney, BC
The Town of Sidney is making it easier for community members to keep their bikes maintained and on the roads. In a program that is the first of its kind in BC, four bike repair kits with a range of tools, can now be loaned out from the Sidney branch of the Vancouver Island Regional Library for up to a week at a time.
Community members who borrow the kits can work on their bikes at home or use a new bike repair station recently installed by the Town of Sidney outside the library.
“The Town of Sidney is taking a multi-layered approach to helping community members choose active transportation like walking or cycling more often. Not only are we creating a bike boulevard on Bowerbank Road, offering free cycling workshops, participating in Go-By-Bike Weeks, and improving bike parking options downtown, we are also making it easier for residents to keep their bikes in good condition,” said Mayor Cliff McNeil-Smith. “We don’t want the cost of bike tools or repairs to be a barrier for community members.”
The Town of Sidney approved its first Active Transportation Plan in July 2023. Since then staff have begun implementing key recommendations in the plan that range from improving cycling infrastructure to promoting active transportation.
From February 25th to March 10th, the Town is offering five bike skills courses, hosted by Capital Bike, aimed at helping adults become accustomed to riding e-bikes, and helping children develop bike skills. The skills courses, bike repair kits, and new bike repair station are funded by the BC Alliance for Healthy Living.