Bike Share Toronto's major expansion underway
Program set to double the number of bicycles and stations by July 11
If you're tired of transit delays and traffic, getting around Toronto is about to get easier if you like cycling. A Bike Share expansion will add 120 new stations and 1,000 new bikes by July 11.
The Toronto Parking Authority, which runs the Bike Share program, and Metrolinx have teamed up to oversee a $4.9-million expansion that will double the number of bicycles at stations. It will also see Bike Share racks open in new areas of the city, such as Liberty Village, Main Station and Dundas West station.
"To be able to put stations in places like Liberty Village for residents to be able to use, both in the village and also to travel to downtown, I think will really help to shorten trips," Marie Casista, Toronto Parking Authority's vice president of real estate, told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Tuesday.
TPA took over Toronto's Bike Share program from bankrupt Montreal-based company Bixi in December 2013, despite then-mayor Rob Ford calling for the program's end. It now has 40,000 members and 35,000 casual users annually.
Casista said the demand continues to grow, giving rise to talks about opening more stations throughout the GTA.
"We're looking at pilot projects now, so it will probably be sometime next year before we get something off the ground," she said.
The partnership between Bike Share and the TPA also means that new members are eligible for 50 per cent off their first-year membership if they have a valid PRESTO card.
