Shifting Gears
Shifting Gears is a program designed to support Peterborough citizens adopt active and efficient transportation habits. Whether it’s walking, cycling, taking transit, carpooling, or remote working, Shifting Gears can help you to make transportation shifts for health and wellbeing, for our community, and for the environment.
Shifting Gears is open to everyone who wants to make less vehicle trips. Our projects and resources motivate and support active and sustainable transportation choices by providing workshops, community , mentorship, resources, and equipment to individuals and employers.
Why Shifting Gears?
We know that daily trips don’t happen in isolation. They may be tied to a trip to pick up the kids, visit the gym, or to run errands. Shifting Gears initiatives and resources are developed with your lifestyle in mind. We provide flexible and supportive options that ensure the shift you make works for you, your employer and your other life commitments.
By easing our dependence on personal vehicles and including more active and sustainable travel in our routines, we can improve our health and wellness, get to know our neighbours and neighbourhoods, reduce our expenses and all while reducing our environmental impact. Often, just a few travel tweaks, will bring more balance, joy, activity, and connection into your life!
For Individuals
For individuals, the Shifting Gears program offers:
+ Shifting Gears May Challenge: Some friendly competition during our May Challenge lets you track active and sustainable trips to reach personal goals and win prizes! The community-wide challenge is open to anyone in the Peterborough Region. Registration for 2024 NOW OPEN!
+ Rack ‘N’ Roll: Add comfort and convenience to your bike commute with complimentary bike gear, equipment installation and a commuter readiness consultation. More information and sign up here!
+ Commute by Bike Resources: Learn how to identify your route and maintain your ride!
+ Commute by Transit Resources: Get acquainted with Peterborough Transit’s new bus routes and schedule!
+ Remote Work Resources: Set your home office and workday up for success with our work-from-home resources!
For Employers
For employers, the Shifting Gears program offers:
+ Shifting Gears May Challenge: Engage your team and rack up your active and sustainable transportation trips; compete with other local workplaces in our community and show off your workplace spirit! Registration for 2024 NOW OPEN!
+ Bike-Friendly Audit: An assessment to gauge and improve the bike-friendliness of your business!
+ Workshops for your employees: Active transportation workplace wellness workshops and seminars, delivered in your workplace! Contact us directly to find out about current fee-for-service workshops and seminar offerings.
+ Remote and Hybrid Work Toolkits: Tips, steps, and policy templates to support employees to work from home!
+ Active and Sustainable Policy Samples: Help with creating policy to support walking, cycling, carpooling, and telecommuting at your workplace!
Program History
Shifting Gears began in 2004 as a spring commuter challenge. This challenge, with funding from Transport Canada’s ecoMOBILITY program, grew substantially between 2008 and 2011, increasing participant numbers four-fold. The program is among the most successful transportation demand management programs ever implemented in the city of Peterborough, and has helped to incentivize a transition to sustainable modes of transportation for thousands of local commuters. After a decade of focusing on workplaces and commuters, in 2015 Shifting Gears expanded the challenge to the whole community and broadened its program offerings to include Rack n Roll, Bike- Friendly Audits, and workshops and resources throughout the year.
