Indwell implements the Indwell Bike Share Program, which aims to provide bikes, infrastructure, and cycling gear for tenants at Woodfield Gate.
The Indwell Bike Share Program provides accessible, low carbon transportation options and outdoor activity possibilities for the tenants at Woodfield Gate.
LONDON, ON – As a part of the London Environmental Network’s Environmental Action Incubator program (EAI), the Indwell Bike Share Program, in collaboration with Climate Action London, promotes both low carbon transportation options and outdoor activity possibilities for Woodfield Gate tenants.
“The bike share program provides people on limited income access to free transportation which can easily navigate the downtown core,” says Carissa Crysler, who provides Addiction Support for Indwell. “It allows people access to a leisure activity/exercise they might not have been otherwise able to afford, which can improve not only physical health but mental well-being.”
Most Indwell tenants do not have cars, and therefore public transportation, bicycles, and walking are their main modes of transportation. With bikes purchased locally from Squeaky Wheel Bike Co-op, this program allows tenants to utilize a more sustainable transportation method while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Tenants are provided with bikes, infrastructure, and cycling gear to loan for a period of time.
Photo of one of the purchased bikes from Squeaky Wheel Bike Co-op.
“I very much love this program,” says one of the tenants. “The bikes help the people in this building, including myself, and help us get around. Not everyone here is able to afford a bike, so I would like to say thank you to everyone at Indwell and the London Environmental Network for donating the bikes.”
The program has also been shown to enhance relationship building between both staff and tenants.
“Tenants have been going on shared bike rides, they have been going to places together and sometimes they take the bikes for fun and race outside the building,” explains Crysler. “It is creating a new sort of community within the building and creating new relationships. It's been a blast watching tenants try new things and speak to people outside of their circle and to get to know certain tenants more by having the bikes available for them.”
Implementing more bike share programs provides many benefits for both the environment and our own health, as depicted through Indwell’s experience. The Indwell Bike Share Program is a great example of a model that could be applied to other residential buildings and rentals in London to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and improve both our physical and mental well-being.
GET INVOLVED - To learn more about the Indwell Bike Share Program and other EAI projects, visit our website and social media platforms for project summaries, updates, and contact information. With support, these projects will be able to reach Londoners of all ages as we strive to create a greener and more resilient city to live in. If you have an idea for a project that reduces emissions, enhances waterways, and reduces waste, stay tuned for the 2022 EAI applications to open up!
