Going eco-friendly: Ride the bike!
City of Toronto installs three new bike station docks in Riverdale's Withrow Park
Bike station docks at Carlaw Ave and McConnell Ave.
Photo taken by Fleur Boomsma
Article and photography by Fleur Boomsma
Since the City of Toronto started investing in “Bike Sharing” back in 2011 the number of bike rides and annual members have grown significantly. According to Bike Share Toronto, they had over 4,000 members in 2016 and it continues to grow. The Riverdale community is one of the perfect places ride the bike safely wherever you go, no matter what time it is. See biking as an entertaining and economical way to get around town while avoiding traffic, TTC delays and Taxi or Uber fares! Let’s not forget you get the exercise!
Finally, on July 10, the city installed three new bike sharing docks near Withrow Park which are located at Carlaw/McConnell Ave, Logan/McConnell Ave, and Logan/Bain Ave. Each station block has between 9-17 bikes available. Now you may see that bikes are not always parked at the station docks, it seems that the Riverdale community is fully committed to bike sharing! The city recognizes that our growing Riverdale neighborhood is ready for this bike system around its well-known Withrow Park.
How does it work?
The system is simple. You locate a bike at one of stations by going to the Bike Share Toronto website or the mobile app. Once located the bike (or if you are at a station already), purchase your pass with your credit card and you will receive a 5-digit code that gives you access to unlock a bike. The benefit of bike sharing is that there’s no need to return the bike to the exact same station.
What is the cost?
Though a single trip of 30 minutes would cost you $3.25, it’s wiser for you to purchase a 24-hour pass of $7. That way you will avoid getting overcharged on your credit card if you don't return your bike within 30 minutes.
If you want to explore the city you can purchase a 3-day pass for $15, which is much more cost-effective than using the public transportation in Toronto.
If you are a committed bike rider like the Dutch in the Netherlands, who will bike anywhere no matter what weather condition they are in (summer, fall, spring AND winter), there is the option of purchasing the $99 annual membership that allows you to have unlimited bike rides for an entire year.
We would love to hear your thoughts on the new bike sharing installations! Is it worth your while?