You can leave your gas-guzzler behind this year because the TCSA and community partners have been hard at work finding ways to keep the Trent community on the move with low-cost, hassle-free, sustainable transportation methods.
As students, we live busy lives. We spend every day shuffling between school, work, home, running errands, and socializing. The thought of doing all of this without a car can seem daunting at first. But fear not! Getting around Trent and Peterborough through a myriad of alternative transportation methods will be simpler than ever this year.
The TCSA and community partners have come up with a suite of transportation solutions that will allow you to move through your Trent and Peterborough experiences in an environmentally conscious and time effective manner. Rather than racking up car insurance, parking, and gas costs, you can:
1) Hop on the Bus
TCSA transit passes offer year-round access to all Peterborough Transit bus routes. Our partnership with Peterborough Transit also allows us to commission two routes specific to Trent: the Trent East Bank and the Trent West Bank. During peak academic hours, these routes run every 10 minutes, opposite each other. That means you can grab a bus from campus to downtown (or vice versa) every 5 minutes! Don’t forget to check out the city routes as well, because utilizing the full transit system will open up the entire City of Peterborough to you. All full-time undergraduate students automatically receive a transit pass, included in their fees. All Peterborough Transit buses are fully accessible, and Peterborough transit offers further services for those with accessibility needs that cannot be met by the scheduled routes.
2) Ride a B!KE
At Trent, we are lucky enough to benefit from beautiful cycling trails along the banks of the Otonabee River. The greater Peterborough area also boasts a wide array of trails, and is very accessible by bike. Last spring, B!KE: The Peterborough Community Cycling Hub launched a bike share program on campus and downtown, providing students with the opportunity to access their Peterborough experience by bike, even if they do not own a bicycle of their own. For students who already own a bicycle, B!KE’s downtown and on-campus bike shops are an excellent resource to learn bicycle maintenance and repair. To learn more about becoming a B!KE member, a B!KE Share member, or about the programs that B!KE offers, visit communitybikeshop.org. See also B!KE To Class this Semester.
3) Use cars consciously and sustainably
The TCSA has teamed up with Student Car Share and community partners, including Peterborough Green-Up, the City of Peterborough, and Trent University Parking, to bring you an exciting new service. This September will mark the launch of a new car share program at Trent and in Peterborough. Becoming a member of Student Car Share allows you access to a vehicle when you need it, without the financial and environmental costs of using a car as a primary mode of transportation. All drivers over the age of 18 with a G License have the opportunity to become Student Car Share members. The share is also a part of a broader network, allowing students access to vehicles at multiple campuses and cities across the province and beyond. In addition to becoming a member of Student Car Share, we encourage you to ride share and car pool. Let’s work together to get fewer vehicles on the road by creating shared use whenever possible!
4) Keep it simple: Walk!
We would be remiss not to mention the simplest (and arguably most sustainable) form of transportation out there—foot travel. Downtown Peterborough is very walk-able. In just minutes, you can access everything from grocery stores, restaurants, and pubs to boutique shopping and cafes. For folks with personal mobility devices, travelling downtown is still quite accessible, as the downtown core has accessible sidewalks and is quite compact.
If you are ready to make a commitment to using sustainable transportation methods, we encourage you to sign the On the Move pledge, found in the paper version of Arthur or at trentcentral.ca/campaigns. The signatories of this pledge are making a commitment to working to build a more sustainable community. By signing the pledge, you are also entered to win some awesome prizes, including cycling swag, B!KE Share memberships, Student Car Share memberships, and B!KE shop memberships. Keep in touch, because in the coming weeks we will be hosting a rally to draw prizes!