Miss the Boston Marathon? You can still bike to work...

The long-term benefits of such exercise were rhymed off by Dr. Richard Stanwick, the Vancouver Island's chief medical health officer, at an event to promote Bike To Work Week on Monday.

Cycling cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease, reduces cancer mortality and benefits the brain, he told the crowd at Victoria city hall. "The best way to prevent Alzheimer's is to get on a bike."

On the flip side, he said, studies show driving in rush-hour traffic is almost as stressful as flying a jet fighter. Stanwick then fought mightily not to joke about the F-35 contract.

Improving cycling infrastructure has become a health issue. "It's about making it easier to do the right thing," Stanwick said.

With that in mind, organizers point to some of the road improvements in the past year: Cedar Hill Road near UVic got a new bike lane, as did Parson's Bridge near Six Mile Road in View Royal. A push-button lets cyclists on Harbour Road in Vic West trigger a light to get onto the Johnson Street bridge. Part of the Galloping Goose Trail has been paved in View Royal, with more coming soon.

Saanich has scheduled an April 24 information session at UVic, where it will outline a plan that would see bike lanes on McKenzie Avenue from Shelbourne Street to Cadboro Bay Village. Bike lanes will be part of the new Craigflower Bridge, too.

And Ottawa's decision to match the province's $7.5-million contribution to the E&N rail line should help fill some of the gaps in the E&N Trail, a 17kilometre route running parallel to the tracks from Victoria to Langford. Last June, the CRD suspended work on intersections between the Johnson Street Bridge and CFB Esquimalt pending word on the E&N's future.

Bike To Work Week runs May 28 to June 3. More than 7,000 riders on 615 teams participated in 2011. Organizers say StatsCan figures show Victoria has the highest proportion of commuter cyclists in Canada.

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