The City of Ottawa aims for 66% of all trips to the city core to be made via public transit or bike. It is supporting various projects. One of these is the Cycle Salvation enterprise, a repair and bike shop which strives to achieve a triple bottom line (people, profit, planet) by providing training and employment in the field of bike mechanics to people who are economically disadvantaged, while at the same time diverting bikes destined for scrap and landfill sites. In addition to selling used bikes, Cycle Salvation also sells bike accessories and parts, and offers a few small bike repair services. Refurbished bikes also make up the fleet of bright purple bicycles of the city’s newest bike-share program 'RightBike'.

The City of Ottawa, ON, was faced with the challenge of reducing automobile dependency in a winter city with far-flung suburban areas. Their response was to launch an ambitious transportation plan that combines high-quality transit with safe and accessible year-round cycling infrastructure, aiming for 66% of all trips to the city core to be made via public transit or bike. Integrating cycling with transit is effective because it provides options for cyclists during bad weather and increases the accessibility and reach of public transit by encouraging trips that combine both modes.

As part of Ottawa's transportation plan, the City is supporting various projects to incentivize the use of bicycles. One of these is the Cycle Salvation enterprise. Cycle Salvation is a social enterprise operating under the umbrella of Causeway Work Centre, an organization that supports people facing barriers to employment. The business strives to achieve a triple bottom line (people, profit, planet) by providing training and employment in the field of bike mechanics to people who are economically disadvantaged, while at the same time diverting bikes destined for scrap and landfill sites. All bikes that are refurbished and sold at Cycle Salvation are donated bikes. Employees refurbish donated bicycles using a multi-point inspection process which are then sold at a reasonable price. In addition to selling used bikes, Cycle Salvation also sells bike accessories and parts, and offers a few small bike repair services (i.e. tube replacement, adjustments to headsets/bottom brackets, brake adjustments). The company is staffed by individuals who have experienced barriers to employment including mental illness, poverty, homelessness, and other challenges.

Cycle Salvation is more than a bike shop. In fact, the bikes refurbished by Cycle Salvation are not only sold to citizens, but also make up a fleet of bright purple bicycles that has recently hit the streets of one Ottawa neighbourhood: the city’s newest bike-share program, 'RightBike'. The program is a commercial bike rental service. For a modest seasonal membership fee, members receive a card they can use to borrow a bike. The benefits of the program are various: more people getting exercise encouraging sustainable transportation, buying local to promote local businesses, supporting job creation, and getting to know their neighbourhood. RightBike is just the latest creative endeavour for Causeway’s growing group of innovative social businesses, of which Cycle Salvation is a member. The decision to base the bike-share program on partners’ strengths, like Cycle Salvation and the Causeway Work Centre, resulted in a program that was “far more feasible, less expensive, more local, and more people-oriented”, as stated by RightBike’s organizers.