What is Vélocité?

Vélocité is a support program aiming to promote the use of active transportation modes to workplaces and educational institutions. This free of charge and tailored program is based on a rigorous approach to guide employers in the implementation of incentives for their employees to prioritize active commuting. 

 

Consult the information leaflet.

 

What is active commuting?

Commuting refers to the motion of someone travelling between their place of residence and their destination. Active commuting therefore refers to a situation when this motion is accomplished thanks to a non-motorized transportation such as biking, walking, running, roller skating, scootering, etc.

 

Who can benefit from our program?

Our program was designed for local industries, trades and institutions - including enterprises as well as community, public and quasipublic organizations -, and educational institutions.

 

Why undertake an active mobility initiative in your organization?

Investing in active mobility in your organization means way more than just helping the environment. Several research studies from different disciplines demonstrate that both employers and employees benefit from biking to work. Far from being abstract ramifications, the benefits translate into direct economic results for both organizations and individuals.

Benefits for employers

  • Productivity gain. Several studies have shown that individuals biking to work are more productive than those not using active transportation modes. Vélo Québec claims that this increased yeld could range between 4% and 15%!
  • Lower rate of absenteeism. On average, active commuters miss work 15% less than employees using motorized transportation. A study conducted in the United States of America on work health and well-being suggests that for each invested dollar, enterprises save 2,73$ in absenteeism costs.
  • Less fees related to off work indemnities. A better musculoskeletal health reduces injury risks in the workplace. Research studies also identify a positive link between biking to work and an important reduction of stress and a lower risk of depression.
  • Less parking maintenance fees. According to Vélo Québec, the construction and maintenance of a parking space costs between 708$ and 4200$ per year. Considering that the required surface area to park a car could accommodate up to 10 bikes, promoting biking to work is a clever way to reduce our needs in parking space.
  • Improved attractiveness and staff retention. Investing in incentives for home-work trips by bike can make an enterprise look more attractive for potential candidates. A survey conducted by eBikes in 2023 showed that biking commuters are on average 42% more satisfied with their work and have 30% less chance of resigning within the next 6 months.
  • Reaching your greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and reaffirming your commitment to sustainable development. Let’s make a theoretical calculation: 5 employees replacing their car for a bike, for a distance of 11.4 kilometres, which is the average distance between home and the place of work in Laval, would be roughly equivalent to a reduction of 6 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Achieve great savings. According to Vivre en Ville, owning a car would, in a majority of cases, cost between 6 957$ and 19 202$ per year, versus a price range of 175$ to 1379$ for a bike. Of course, it may not always be possible for someone to get rid of their car completely, but trading even some of our motorized trips for active commuting could have a significant impact on our wallet: in a city such as Laval, each kilometer travelled by car costs between 0,23$ and 0,34$. See for yourself how much your mobility choices cost thanks to Vivre en Ville’s calculator.
  • Maintain good physical and mental health. We are often told that biking has several health benefits, but what are they exactly? A Scottish study comparing data from 2011 and 2018 censuses revealed that compared to non-active commuters, individuals biking to work have 47% less mortality risk, 24% less cardiovascular disease-related hospitalizations and 51% less risk of death from cancer. Furthermore, several research studies conclude that active commuting leads to a significant reduction of stress as well as a reduced risk for depression, while increasing concentration capacity. Learn more here: Observatoire du vélo.
  • Get to work without experiencing road congestion. In an urban environment, biking is a fast and enjoyable way to move around, considering the amount of time wasted waiting in traffic or looking for a parking spot when driving a car. Travels under 6 km require less than 25 minutes by bike. For travels between 6 and 12 km (which include travels from Ste. Rose, Duvernay or Ste. Dorothée to the city center), it takes about 25 to 50 minutes.
  • Reduce your individual ecological footprint. Trading your car for your bicycle once a week for a distance of 11,4 km – the average distance between home and place of work in Laval – may enable you to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions by about 240 kgCO. If you switch to biking to work daily, this number may reach 1.2 tonnes!

A tailored support program for your organization

Our 6-step support program is adaptable to your situation and your budget in order to speed up the adoption of active commuting among your employees.

 

 

1 - Diagnosis

To act efficiently, the first step is to understand how your employees commute to their place of work and why they prefer a certain transportation mode over another. A survey on employees’ travel habits, combined with a field trip, will identify the main obstacles preventing your employees from adopting the bicycle as a transportation mode and, therefore, targeting action-levers with the highest potential for impact.

Thanks to collected data, we review the most appropriate intervention measures within your organization to elaborate an action plan based on clear objectives and a precise schedule.

When trying to promote active commuting, we often think of adding infrastructures such as a secure bicycle parking or a shower. While such infrastructures may definitely play a major role, it is essential to adopt a series of diverse strategies according to your employees’ needs, whether it is awareness and education campaigns, financial incentives or internal culture changes. We favor a multi-category approach opting for a mix of diversified strategies, some of which are low-cost options.

During the implementation phase, we meet with you regularly to evaluate if the action plan is progressing as expected. If needed, we readjust with you the intervention plan as we go.

Once incentive measures are established, we help you towards the acquisition of the VÉLOSYMPATHIQUE certification by Vélo Québec, guiding you throughout the process. We offer financial support for submitting your application.

In addition to achieving the initiative and your commitment to your employees’ active commuting, this certification allows you to obtain Vélo Québec’s feedback.

A second survey aims to measure results. This is an opportunity to sit again at the planning table to evaluate if objectives were achieved and to consider a second intervention phase.

We wish to integrate biking in a sustainable way within your organization. By the end of the support program, our objective is for you to be autonomous when updating plans and programs. To this end, creating an active mobility committee or nominating a person responsible for all biking matters are efficient leverages to ensure the perpetuation of the hard work done.

Become an agent of change

Changing our mobility habits must be a priority. In Laval, over 70% of our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions comes from transportation. Actions aiming to reduce car commuting have a high impact potential, as they reduce additional greenhouse gas emissions linked to road congestion. In this context, Laval employers play a major role in the socio-ecological transition of transportation.

Tailored workplace commuting management programs such as Vélocité lead to tangible results supported by literature. When introducing active mobility solutions within your organization, you directly contribute to a healthier environment and a better quality of life for everyone.

 

Ready to begin? Contact our sustainable mobility project manager to discuss options available to you! 

 

 

   

laurent.demaisonneuve@credelaval.qc.ca 

450-664-3503 (ext. 103) 

 

 

Vélocité is financed until 2028 thanks to the Environmental Damages Fund, administered by Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

 

 

Contact us

Contact

3235 blvd. St-Martin East,          Offices 208-209                        Laval (Quebec), H7E 5G8            450-664-3503              credelaval@credelaval.qc.ca

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