Shifting Gears
Shifting Gears is a program that supports Peterborough residents to adopt active and sustainable transportation habits. Whether it’s walking, cycling, taking transit, carpooling, or working from home, Shifting Gears can help you to make transportation shifts for your health and wellbeing, for our community, and for the environment.
Shifting Gears is open to everyone who wants to make fewer solo car trips. Our projects and resources motivate and support active and sustainable transportation choices by providing workshops, events, mentorship, resources, and equipment to individuals and employers.
Why Shifting Gears?
We know that daily trips don’t happen in isolation. The trip from home to work might also mean stopping 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 your life.
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 better and reduce our expenses – all while reducing our environmental impact. Often, just a few travel tweaks can bring more balance, joy, activity, and connection into your lives!
Shifting Gears E-news SignUP
Shifting Gears E-news SignUP
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. *Closed for the season*
+ Rack ‘n’ Roll: Add comfort and convenience to your bike commute with complimentary bike gear, equipment installation and a commuter readiness consultation. *In-take closed for 2026*
+ Commute by Bike Resources: Get help to plan your route and maintain your ride!
+ Commute by Transit Resources: Get acquainted with Peterborough Transit’s new bus routes and schedule!
+ Work-from-Home 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 by racking up active and sustainable transportation trips together. Compete with similar- sized workplaces in our region and show off your workplace spirit! *Closed for the season*
+ 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 policies to support walking, cycling, carpooling, and telecommuting at your workplace!
Program History
Shifting Gears began in 2004 as a spring commuter challenge. With the help of funding from Transport Canada’s ecoMOBILITY the May Challenge 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, broadening its program offerings to include Rack n Roll, Bike- Friendly Audits, and workshops and resources throughout the year.
Program Contact Information
Name: Brett Throop
Position: Program Coordinator
Phone: 705-745-3238 x204
Email: brett.throop@greenup.on.ca
Partners
Peterborough Public Health
City of Peterborough
B!KE
Wild Rock Outfitters
County of Peterborough
Peterborough Transit
Fontaine Source for Sports
Green Street
Green Street e-bikes is a locally owned and operated business that specializes in e-bikes, accessories, and service. It is owned and operated by Verne and Angie Windrem in Peterborough, Ontario.
Fontaine Source For Sports is a local sporting goods store specializing in hockey, cycling, and more. They feature top-level products at competitive prices.
Wild Rock Outfitters is a privately owned outdoor and sporting equipment store that has been operating in the Peterborough community for more than 20 years. Wild Rock Outfitters have been keen supporters of community-based recreation and sport initiatives in the City and County of Peterborough for many years.
B!KE: The Peterborough Community Cycling Hub is an incorporated not-for-profit, member-based cycling education and support organization. They’ve been working with the Peterborough community since 2006 teaching bike maintenance and repair.
Peterborough Public Health offers a wide range of programs and services to improve the living conditions of those in need for the benefit of all. From health risk prevention to promoting healthy lifestyles, Health Unit staff work around the clock to keep our community safe and strong.
Peterborough Transit serves the City of Peterborough, Ontario with regular and Handi-Van transit services.
The City of Peterborough supports GreenUP through an annual Community Service Grant. This funding supports many of our programs and services which positively impact Peterborough residents each day.
The County of Peterborough is an upper tier municipality that is responsible for a range of municipal services that affect the citizens of Peterborough County. These services include: Planning, GIS, Administration and Council Services, Human Resources, Purchasing, Finance, IT, EMS, and Public Works.