Cycling in Toronto
Encyclopedia
Toronto
, like many North American cities, has slowly been improving its cycling infrastructure. At the same time the number of cyclists has been increasing progressively, particularly in the core, as cycling conditions improve, a cycling culture strengthens and alternatives such as automobiles are seen as expensive and cumbersome.
, and later the safety bicycle
, arrived in North American cities in the late 19th century. This predated the advent of the automobile. The roads at the time were not ideal for bicycle travel. With the advent of the automobile the romance of the bicycle faded. It wasn't until the 10-speed bike boom
of the 1970s that use of the bicycle for transportation in Toronto regained some traction.
In 1975, the Toronto City Cycling Committee was established by the former City to promote cycling and safety initiatives. It was composed of cycling advocates, City Councillors and volunteers. In forming the Committee, Council adopted the following policy statement: “Council recognizes that the bicycle, as an integral and efficient form of transportation and as a means of recreation, can make a significant contribution to the quality of City life; therefore, it is the policy of Council to implement programs that will promote and facilitate greater and safer use of the bicycle.”
In 2001, Toronto City Council adopted the Toronto Bike Plan with the aim of doubling the number of cycling trips and reducing crashes and injuries by 2011.
study showed that 48 percent of Torontonians were cyclists and 60% of households owned bicycles. During the peak summer months, cyclists in Toronto made more than three million trips per week, including over 1.6 million recreation trips
. Approximately 20 percent of the population (388,000) are utilitarian cyclists
, riding to work and school, going shopping, running errands or going visiting. The largest age groups of utilitarian and recreational cyclists were the 18-34 and 35-39 age groups. Gender-wise cyclists split about 60 percent male and 40 percent female. 23 percent of utilitarian cyclists continue to cycle through the winter whereas only 5 percent of recreational cyclists do the same. Bicycle ownership and recreational cyclists levels were fairly level across the city. Utility cycling
, however, is much higher in Central Toronto (comprising York
, East York
and Old Toronto). Utilitarian cyclists are much more concerned about careless drivers, poor road conditions and car doors opening
in comparison to non-cyclists and recreational cyclists.
in Toronto were most frequent on arterial roads, particularly on central east-west routes where cycling volumes are high. The majority of collisions occurred at intersections, and most of those involved motor-vehicle turning manoeuvres. Away from intersections, collisions most often involved a motorist overtaking a cyclist, or opening a car-door in the path of a cyclist. In the central area of the city, the most frequent type of collision involved a motorist opening their car-door in the path of a cyclist. Almost 30% of the cyclists were cycling on the sidewalk immediately prior to their collisions.
of on-road, off-road bikeways, signage and parking. The other major prong of the bike plan is education and promotion to reduce the number of collisions/falls and to increase the number of people who bike.
The Bike Plan is a major program to dramatically expand the network through on-road bike lanes, signed routes and off-road multi-use paths. The goal is that by 2011 any cyclist in the city proper should be within a five minute ride of a designated bike route. The network is planned for 1000 km of bikeways including 500 km of on-street bike lanes, and another 250 km of off-road paved trails. As of 2008 about 400 kilometres of the 1000 km proposed bikeway network is in place.
Two major off-road paved trails along the Don and Humber
river valleys provide a backbone for transport on the east and west side of the downtown area. The two trails are connected by the Martin Goodman Trail along the lakeshore as part of the larger Waterfront Trail
that goes along Lake Ontario
. All of these off-road trails are heavily used by cyclists but still have some issues with continuity and trail quality that keep them from being prime cycling transportation corridors.
The City has installed thousands of post and ring stands for on-street bike parking
in the last few years.
. In the event of a crash, collision or non-HTA related charges the Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists also offers a Legal Info page.
buses
have bike racks attached to their fronts, and all will be equipped by 2010. Bicycles are allowed on the subway outside of the morning and evening rush hours. The Toronto Bike Plan, in the Cycling and transit chapter, aims to improve accessibility to bikes on transit as well as parking at transit locations.
Additionally, GO Transit
also provides bike racks on all their bus routes, and allows bicycles on their trains outside of weekday rush hours. As of 2008, folding bicycles are allowed at all times, including rush hour. Summer GO Train service to Niagara includes dedicated bicycle cars which have all seats on the bottom floor removed and replaced with bicycle racks.
cycling skills courses. CAN-BIKE's philosophy is to train cyclists of all levels how to ride safely as a vehicle in regular traffic, also known as vehicular cycling
by proponents of John Forester.
A number of different organizations offer bike mechanic
workshops, such as the Toronto District School Board, Community Bicycle Network
, BikeSauce, the Bike Pirates and Bikechain. Except the Toronto District School Board, all of these organisations also have public access tool use and bicycle repair and recycling, with different payscales for shop use (depending on the organisation).
Toronto launched on May 3, 2011 with a limited amount of bicycles and stations, with the plan to expand in the first 2 weeks to 1000 bikes available at 80 stations located in an area bounded by Bathurst Street to the west, Bloor Street to the north, Jarvis Street to the east, and Queens Quay to the south. Users can purchase yearly or monthly memberships and can then rent the bikes from any of the stations. The first half hour will be free. It is anticipated to be funded almost solely through user fees.
The new system is the second bike sharing system in Toronto. The first was the Community Bicycle Network's popular BikeShare program which ran from 2001 to 2006 with approximately 150 bikes and 15 stations. It closed due to a lack of long-term grant funds and lack of alternative funding sources to cover all the costs, such as advertising revenues or membership fees.
There are also a number of independent cycling organizations in Toronto providing advocacy, recreational and community economic development services:
has helped connect Toronto cyclists with Niagara Region bike trails via Via Rail
. The Waterfront Trail
organization http://www.waterfronttrail.org/ has been instrumental in getting a mostly-continuous bike trail across a large stretch of the north shore of Lake Ontario, including Toronto. It has also promoted the trail as an interesting route for cycle tourism
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, like many North American cities, has slowly been improving its cycling infrastructure. At the same time the number of cyclists has been increasing progressively, particularly in the core, as cycling conditions improve, a cycling culture strengthens and alternatives such as automobiles are seen as expensive and cumbersome.
History
Toronto was no exception when the penny-farthingPenny-farthing
Penny-farthing, high wheel, high wheeler, and ordinary are all terms used to describe a type of bicycle with a large front wheel and a much smaller rear wheel that was popular after the boneshaker, until the development of the safety bicycle, in the 1880s...
, and later the safety bicycle
Safety bicycle
A safety bicycle is a type of bicycle that became very popular beginning in the late 1880s as an alternative to the penny-farthing or ordinary and is now the most common type of bicycle. Early bicycles of this style were known as safety bicycles because they were noted for, and marketed as, being...
, arrived in North American cities in the late 19th century. This predated the advent of the automobile. The roads at the time were not ideal for bicycle travel. With the advent of the automobile the romance of the bicycle faded. It wasn't until the 10-speed bike boom
Bike boom
Bike boom or bicycle craze refers to several different times when, for a period of a few years, many people in many parts of Europe and North America wanted to buy and ride a bicycle. In brief, they occurred in 1819, 1868, the decade of the 1890s, and the 1970s...
of the 1970s that use of the bicycle for transportation in Toronto regained some traction.
In 1975, the Toronto City Cycling Committee was established by the former City to promote cycling and safety initiatives. It was composed of cycling advocates, City Councillors and volunteers. In forming the Committee, Council adopted the following policy statement: “Council recognizes that the bicycle, as an integral and efficient form of transportation and as a means of recreation, can make a significant contribution to the quality of City life; therefore, it is the policy of Council to implement programs that will promote and facilitate greater and safer use of the bicycle.”
In 2001, Toronto City Council adopted the Toronto Bike Plan with the aim of doubling the number of cycling trips and reducing crashes and injuries by 2011.
Number of cyclists
A 1999 DecimaDecima Research
Decima Research is a public opinion and market research company in Canada, founded in 1979 by Progressive Conservative Party of Canada strategist Allan Gregg....
study showed that 48 percent of Torontonians were cyclists and 60% of households owned bicycles. During the peak summer months, cyclists in Toronto made more than three million trips per week, including over 1.6 million recreation trips
Bicycle touring
Bicycle touring is cycling over long distances – prioritizing pleasure and endurance over utility or speed. Touring can range from single day 'supported' rides — e.g., rides to benefit charities — where provisions are available to riders at stops along the route, to multi-day...
. Approximately 20 percent of the population (388,000) are utilitarian cyclists
Utility cycling
Utility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport...
, riding to work and school, going shopping, running errands or going visiting. The largest age groups of utilitarian and recreational cyclists were the 18-34 and 35-39 age groups. Gender-wise cyclists split about 60 percent male and 40 percent female. 23 percent of utilitarian cyclists continue to cycle through the winter whereas only 5 percent of recreational cyclists do the same. Bicycle ownership and recreational cyclists levels were fairly level across the city. Utility cycling
Utility cycling
Utility cycling encompasses any cycling not done primarily for fitness, recreation such as cycle touring, or sport such as cycle racing, but simply as a means of transport...
, however, is much higher in Central Toronto (comprising York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
, East York
East York
East York can refer to:*East York, Pennsylvania, United States*East York, Ontario, Canada...
and Old Toronto). Utilitarian cyclists are much more concerned about careless drivers, poor road conditions and car doors opening
Door zone
The door zone is the space spanning about four feet from the sides of parallel parked cars. It is hazardous to ride a bicycle or motorcycle in a door zone because if a door is suddenly opened, the cyclist must either crash into it , brake suddenly, or swerve into the adjacent lane of traffic...
in comparison to non-cyclists and recreational cyclists.
Bicycle safety
The 2003 Toronto Bicycle/Motor-Vehicle Collision Study http://www.toronto.ca/transportation/publications/bicycle_motor-vehicle/index.htm found that cycling collisionsBicycle safety
Bicycle safety is the use of practices designed to reduce risk associated with cycling. Some of this subject matter is hotly debated: for example, the discussions as to whether bicycle helmets or cyclepaths really deliver improved safety...
in Toronto were most frequent on arterial roads, particularly on central east-west routes where cycling volumes are high. The majority of collisions occurred at intersections, and most of those involved motor-vehicle turning manoeuvres. Away from intersections, collisions most often involved a motorist overtaking a cyclist, or opening a car-door in the path of a cyclist. In the central area of the city, the most frequent type of collision involved a motorist opening their car-door in the path of a cyclist. Almost 30% of the cyclists were cycling on the sidewalk immediately prior to their collisions.
Infrastructure
Toronto has an official Toronto Bike Plan to create a city-wide cycling networkSegregated cycle facilities
Segregated cycle facilities are marked lanes, tracks, shoulders and paths designated for use by cyclists from which motorised traffic is generally excluded...
of on-road, off-road bikeways, signage and parking. The other major prong of the bike plan is education and promotion to reduce the number of collisions/falls and to increase the number of people who bike.
The Bike Plan is a major program to dramatically expand the network through on-road bike lanes, signed routes and off-road multi-use paths. The goal is that by 2011 any cyclist in the city proper should be within a five minute ride of a designated bike route. The network is planned for 1000 km of bikeways including 500 km of on-street bike lanes, and another 250 km of off-road paved trails. As of 2008 about 400 kilometres of the 1000 km proposed bikeway network is in place.
Two major off-road paved trails along the Don and Humber
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
river valleys provide a backbone for transport on the east and west side of the downtown area. The two trails are connected by the Martin Goodman Trail along the lakeshore as part of the larger Waterfront Trail
Waterfront Trail
The Waterfront Trail refers to an interconnected series of trails along the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, currently beginning in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and extending to Brockville, Ontario, with an extension along Former Highway 2, to the Quebec provincial border...
that goes along Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. All of these off-road trails are heavily used by cyclists but still have some issues with continuity and trail quality that keep them from being prime cycling transportation corridors.
The City has installed thousands of post and ring stands for on-street bike parking
Bicycle parking
Bicycle parking involves the infrastructure and equipment to enable secure and convenient parking of bicycles...
in the last few years.
Cycling and the law
Cycling as transportation is covered under the Ontario Highway Traffic ActHighway Traffic Act (Ontario)
The Highway Traffic Act is an Ontario Act which regulates the licensing of vehicles, classification of traffic offenses, administration of loads, classification of vehicles and other transport related issues...
. In the event of a crash, collision or non-HTA related charges the Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists also offers a Legal Info page.
Cycling and transit
Some TTCToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
buses
Toronto buses and trolley buses
Toronto Transit Commission buses are transit buses used for public transport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Buses are owned and operated by the Toronto Transit Commission . With over 140 routes in operation, the TTC attracts over 400 million riders each year. Each route is further divided into branch...
have bike racks attached to their fronts, and all will be equipped by 2010. Bicycles are allowed on the subway outside of the morning and evening rush hours. The Toronto Bike Plan, in the Cycling and transit chapter, aims to improve accessibility to bikes on transit as well as parking at transit locations.
Additionally, GO Transit
GO Transit
GO Transit is an inter-regional public transit system in Southern Ontario, Canada. It primarily serves the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area conurbation, with operations extending to several communities beyond the GTHA proper in the Greater Golden Horseshoe...
also provides bike racks on all their bus routes, and allows bicycles on their trains outside of weekday rush hours. As of 2008, folding bicycles are allowed at all times, including rush hour. Summer GO Train service to Niagara includes dedicated bicycle cars which have all seats on the bottom floor removed and replaced with bicycle racks.
Education
The City of Toronto offers CAN-BIKECAN-BIKE
CAN-BIKE is a Canadian cycling skills course offered across the country by the Canadian Cycling Association. It is a nationally standardized series of courses on all aspects of cycling safety oriented toward recreational and utilitarian cycling...
cycling skills courses. CAN-BIKE's philosophy is to train cyclists of all levels how to ride safely as a vehicle in regular traffic, also known as vehicular cycling
Vehicular cycling
Vehicular cycling is the practice of riding bicycles on roads in a manner that is visible, predictable, and in accordance with the principles for driving in traffic.The phrase vehicular cycling was coined by John Forester in the 1970s to characterize the...
by proponents of John Forester.
A number of different organizations offer bike mechanic
Bicycle mechanic
A bicycle mechanic is a mechanic who can perform a wide range of repairs on bicycles. Bike mechanics can be employed in various types of stores, ranging from large department stores to small local bike shops; cycling teams, or bicycle manufacturers....
workshops, such as the Toronto District School Board, Community Bicycle Network
Community Bicycle Network
Started in 1993, the Community Bicycle Network existed to provide a network for bike recycling clubs and other community economic development projects in Toronto...
, BikeSauce, the Bike Pirates and Bikechain. Except the Toronto District School Board, all of these organisations also have public access tool use and bicycle repair and recycling, with different payscales for shop use (depending on the organisation).
Public bike sharing
There has been a recent explosion of bike sharing systems in many cities around the world. BIXIBIXI
Bixi is a public bicycle sharing system developed by the Public Bike System Company , which itself was set up by the parking authority of Montréal to create a modular bicycle sharing system for Montréal....
Toronto launched on May 3, 2011 with a limited amount of bicycles and stations, with the plan to expand in the first 2 weeks to 1000 bikes available at 80 stations located in an area bounded by Bathurst Street to the west, Bloor Street to the north, Jarvis Street to the east, and Queens Quay to the south. Users can purchase yearly or monthly memberships and can then rent the bikes from any of the stations. The first half hour will be free. It is anticipated to be funded almost solely through user fees.
The new system is the second bike sharing system in Toronto. The first was the Community Bicycle Network's popular BikeShare program which ran from 2001 to 2006 with approximately 150 bikes and 15 stations. It closed due to a lack of long-term grant funds and lack of alternative funding sources to cover all the costs, such as advertising revenues or membership fees.
Maps
The City of Toronto Bicycle Map is the main resource for a bike map of Toronto. Every year thousands of bike maps are distributed at bike events and through community centres, bike stores and libraries. The online pdf is cumbersome to use, which is why some other groups have provided their own versions. Ride The City - Toronto provides the locations of bike lanes, bike routes, bike stores and bike share stations and provides directions for safer biking routes through Toronto and other cities. Google Maps for Toronto now also has a bike route mapping function and displays the bike routes through the city.Organizations
Compared to many North American cities, Toronto has a well-established municipal government Cycling Office. It has been in charge of fulfilling the Toronto Bike Plan through adding bike lanes, hosting Bike Month, and CAN-Bike. The City also has a Toronto Cycling Advisory Committee that exists to advise the Transportation Department and City Council on cycling issues.There are also a number of independent cycling organizations in Toronto providing advocacy, recreational and community economic development services:
- Formed in 2008, the Toronto Cyclists UnionToronto Cyclists UnionStarted in 2008, the Toronto Cyclists Union is Toronto's largest cycling advocacy organization with over 500 members as of 2008. -History:...
is Toronto's member-based cycling advocacy organization. - The Toronto Coalition for Active TransportationToronto Coalition for Active TransportationThe Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation was formed in 2006 to give a unified voice to over 43 groups working for a better cycling and pedestrian environment in Toronto...
is a coalition of organizations interested in researching and advocating for better cycling and pedestrian infrastructure and policy in Toronto. - The Community Bicycle NetworkCommunity Bicycle NetworkStarted in 1993, the Community Bicycle Network existed to provide a network for bike recycling clubs and other community economic development projects in Toronto...
exists since 1993 as a bicycle recycling and bike education organization. It ran the popular Bikeshare program. It currently operates a refurbished bike shop with a particular emphasis on DIY. - The Toronto Bicycling NetworkToronto Bicycling NetworkThe Toronto Bicycling Network is Toronto's largest recreational cycling organization. It was formed in 1983 by cycling enthusiasts Richard Aaron and Norm Myshok...
is Toronto's large recreational cycling organization, with many bike rides and trips throughout the year. - Advocacy for Respect for CyclistsAdvocacy for Respect for CyclistsAdvocacy for Respect for Cyclists is a Toronto advocacy group formed in 1996. A group of cyclists felt a pressing need for an organization to advocate on behalf of the needs of cyclists after a period of time where two cyclists killed by trucks and another two arrested on a Critical Mass ride...
advocates on behalf of cyclists providing important information on legal issues as well as supporting memorials for cyclists killed while on their bike. - The Bike Pirates is a group of volunteers in Toronto who provide space for people to fix their own bikes.
- Both the Take the Tooker campaign and Bells on Bloor campaign are pushing for a bike lane across Bloor StreetBloor StreetBloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, in the Canadian province of Ontario. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct westward into Mississauga, where it ends at Central Parkway. East of the viaduct, Danforth Avenue continues along the same...
. They also host the largest bike ride in Toronto with thousands of cyclists taking over Bloor Street every spring. - Critical Mass Toronto provides information on Toronto's Critical MassCritical MassCritical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The ride was originally founded in 1992 in San Francisco. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and...
ride, a leaderless ride that takes place on the last Friday of every month at 6:30pm from Bloor and Spadina. - The Toronto HPV Group is group of human-powered vehicle enthusiasts.
- bikeSauce is a DIY bike repair space and community hub located at Queen E. and Broadview in the city's east end.
Blogs
One of the best ways to keep on top of cycling-related news and events in Toronto is read up on blogs. The mainstream media mainly covers cycling in the spring as a recreational activity. Some of the main cycling blogs are:- Bike Lane Diary, a group cycling blog.
- bikeToronto, tracking the ongoing implementation of the Toronto Bike Plan.
- BikingToronto.com, a blog and reference site as well as a positive outlook on all events and news.
- I Bike T.O., a group blog of cycling news and events;
- Spacing Wire: Cycling Category, covers cycling issues along urban and public space news.
Toronto cycling magazines
Toronto has two magazines that cover cycling in Toronto:- Dandyhorse Magazine, a full-colour Toronto-produced magazine first published in 2008.
- Momentum MagazineMomentum (magazine)Momentum is a magazine for cyclists. It is published in Vancouver, Canada, and distributed for free in 20 North American Cities. It is also available by subscription around the world. Momentum Magazine, originally founded in 2001, has been publishing in its current incarnation since June 2005.The...
, an online and print magazine based in Vancouver that is planning a Toronto version distribution in the winter of 2009;
Cycling tourism
The Toronto-Niagara Bike Train InitiativeToronto-Niagara Bike Train
The Toronto-Niagara Bike Train is an award-winning initiative in Southern Ontario allowing cyclists to travel by train on Via Rail to destinations across Ontario including Toronto, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, and North Bay, as well as the city of Montreal in Quebec...
has helped connect Toronto cyclists with Niagara Region bike trails via Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
. The Waterfront Trail
Waterfront Trail
The Waterfront Trail refers to an interconnected series of trails along the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, currently beginning in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario and extending to Brockville, Ontario, with an extension along Former Highway 2, to the Quebec provincial border...
organization http://www.waterfronttrail.org/ has been instrumental in getting a mostly-continuous bike trail across a large stretch of the north shore of Lake Ontario, including Toronto. It has also promoted the trail as an interesting route for cycle tourism
Bicycle touring
Bicycle touring is cycling over long distances – prioritizing pleasure and endurance over utility or speed. Touring can range from single day 'supported' rides — e.g., rides to benefit charities — where provisions are available to riders at stops along the route, to multi-day...
.