What Motivates Kay to Support Cycling?

Dr. Kay Teschke is a Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia and a board member of the British Columbia Cycling Coalition. Her career in occupational and environmental health took a transformative turn when she began researching cycling safety after the birth of her daughter. This led to the creation of the “Cycling in Cities” program, which has provided invaluable insights into how different route types affect cycling safety and participation.

Kay’s research has been instrumental in shaping policies and infrastructure that make cycling safer and more appealing. Her work has influenced municipal, provincial, national, and international cycling policies, including design toolkits, traffic safety reviews, and helmet laws. Kay’s contributions have made a significant impact on how we view and implement cycling infrastructure and in 2016, she was recognized as one of the 14 Most Influential Canadians in Cycling.

Kay’s passion for cycling extends beyond her professional achievements. She has been a long-time donor to HUB Cycling, supporting our mission to get more people cycling more often. At HUB Cycling, we believe that more cycling leads to healthier, happier, and more connected communities. Through education, advocacy, and events, we strive to make cycling an attractive choice for everyone.

We are thrilled to announce that an anonymous donor has generously offered to match all donations* made to HUB Cycling this month, doubling the impact of your contribution. This is a fantastic opportunity to maximize your support and help us continue our work in making cycling safer and more accessible for all.

We invite you to join Kay in supporting HUB Cycling. Your donation, now matched by our anonymous donor, will help us create a future where cycling is a natural and enjoyable part of everyday life.

Here is our interview with Dr. Kay about why she supports HUB Cycling:

What motivated you to support Cycling?

I first started biking quite a bit when I moved away from home to go to university. I didn't have a car and biking was just a cheap way to get around. But I loved it so much that even when I started work and could afford a car, biking was just more fun.

HUB is the bicycling advocacy organization for the city where I live, Vancouver … so my support is partly selfish - I want safe, comfortable places to ride. But I also hope that HUB’s advocacy will encourage the City to provide a safe network everywhere, so that everyone will have the option to choose biking.

How has cycling influenced your life?

So many ways: cheap transport, joyful holidays with friends, and a chance to work with excellent research colleagues, engineers, planners, and advocates who want to make our cities more liveable.

What values do you think align with HUB Cycling’s mission, to get more people cycling more often, and how do they resonate with your personal beliefs?

“More people cycling” really resonates with me, because our research and other data show that biking is not equitably available in Vancouver, the province, or the rest of Canada. More men bike than women, not because women don’t want to bike, but because the environment we provide along most streets is mixed with too much traffic going too fast. Biking there is more dangerous than on separated or quieter infrastructure and, on average, women are less willing to ride in such conditions. In bike research, women are often called an “indicator species” for the quality of bike routes. If women and men bike in equal numbers, then you know the routes are welcoming to everyone.

What changes or improvements do you hope to see in cycling infrastructure in the coming years?

I would love to see such a dense network of excellent bike routes that no one would need a special map to be able to get around the city safely and comfortably.

How do you measure the impact of your contributions? What outcomes are most important to you?

To me, the most important measures of success are the length and density of the “comfortable for most” bike network, and the proportion of trips made by bike. These measures are both reported in HUB’s State of Cycling Report, now in its second edition.

What would you say to someone who is considering donating but hasn’t yet taken the step?

If you can afford it, HUB is a great investment in the future of biking.

*Matching up to $5,000