Sharing my cycling experiences north of Toronto (in York Region and beyond, aka the 905), from bike commuting, to family leisure rides, to road touring, to mountain biking, and everything in between. Opinions are my own. Ride on!
I rode the Hwy 7 bike lanes across the 404 interchange this week. York Region has worked in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation to make this a safer and more effective interchange for cyclists and motorists. Completed in Fall 2014, the bike lanes with green markings across the ramp mixing zones are among only a handful of such examples in Ontario (I only know of 403/Fairview in Burlington, and 400/Duckworth in Barrie).
There were a few wet spots, and some stored snow was encroaching the bike lane, but the buffer provides some extra width for cyclists and I thought it was a relatively comfortable winter ride. A cyclist could easily use this commuter route year-round (though the left turn bike boxes were completely covered with snow).
Hwy 7 BEFORE (no bike facilites) - westbound approach 404
Hwy 7 NOW (buffered bike lanes, sidewalk, transit lanes) - westbound approach 404
With MTO's #CycleON Action Plan 1.0 released in 2014, it appears that these types of interchange improvements will become the norm rather than the exception, making the crossings a lot less challenging by bike. All road users will benefit.
I admit that I sometimes ride my bike on the sidewalk, usually with my kids or along certain busy roadways with very few pedestrians. Of course, I use extra caution, as motorists at driveways and intersections are not expecting cyclists, and I'm courteous to pedestrians by ringing my bell in advance and passing on the grass. This video by the Bicycle League of American Cyclists does a great job explaining the risks:
"Traffic laws in Ontario do not specifically prohibit riding on sidewalks. Restrictions on cycling on sidewalks can be regulated by municipal by-laws."
In 2014, the City of Toronto amended it's bylaw to state that no person age 14 and older (rather than based on wheel size) may ride a bicycle on a sidewalk. The fine for an adult who rides a bicycle on a sidewalk shall be $60. The intent of this bylaw is to allow young children to cycle on the sidewalk while they learn to ride.
Here's a summary of the cycling on sidewalk laws in York Region:
Municipality
Bylaw No.
Definition(s)
Relevant Clause(s)
Adults Allowed Cycling on Sidewalk
City of Markham
106-71: Traffic
“Bicycle” includes tricycle or
unicycle with a wheel or wheels of more than 24 inches in diameter.
15)
No person shall ride a bicycle with a wheel or wheels more than 24 inches in
diameter upon a sidewalk on any road.
NO (but $2 fine!)
Town of Richmond Hill
N/A
N/A
Traffic Bylaw Not Available
YES
City of Vaughan
284-94
“Bicycle” includes a tricycle having
a wheel or wheels of more than 60 centimetres in diameter.
1)“Where
official signs to that effect are erected and on display, no bicyclist may
travel on any sidewalk section set out in schedule A”
Schedule A is
blank
YES
Town of Aurora
4574-04.T
“Bicycle includes a tricycle having a
wheel or wheels of more than 60 centimetres in diameter.
No Clause
YES
Town of King
N/A
N/A
Traffic Bylaw Not Available
YES
Town of East Gwillimbury
2014-048
“Bicycle” includes a two or three
wheeled non-motorized vehicle having wheels of more than 60 centimetres in
diameter.
1)“No
person shall ride a bicycle or a motor-assisted bicycle with a wheel or
wheels more than sixty (60) centimetres in diameter upon a sidewalk on any
highway”
NO
Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
2008-147-TR
“Bicycle” includes a tricycle and
unicycle but does not include a motor assisted bicycle.
1)“No
person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk on any highway”
NO
Town of Georgina
2001-0046 (TR-1)
“Bicycle” includes a tricycle having
a wheel or wheels or more than 60 centimeters in diameter.
1)“No
person shall ride a bicycle upon a sidewalk on any highway”
NO
Town of Newmarket
2011-24
“Bicycle” is a device propelled
solely by human power, upon which a person may ride either on or astride a
regular seat attached thereto, including a tricycle and unicycle, but
excluding children’s bicycles or toy vehicle.
1)“A person
driving a bicycle, power assisted bicycle, moped or motor assisted bicycles
upon a roadway shall not:
(c)
Ride a bicycle, power assisted bicycle,
moped or a motor assisted bicycle with a wheel or wheels more than sixty (60)
centimetres in diameter upon a sidewalk on any roadway”
NO
Main Street in Newmarket has specific pavement markings clearly indicating no sidewalk cycling. This makes sense because of the pedestrian activity, and the number of store entrances right next to the sidewalk makes it hazardous if cyclists and pedestrians were mixed.
The problem with sidewalk cycling as I see it is the risky behaviour of some cyclists. Here's an example at the Dufferin/407 interchange in Vaughan. The sidewalk cyclist is riding against traffic, does not slow down at the intersection, and does not have a bike light. To make matters worse, the sight lines for right-turning motorists coming off the ramp are restricted by the guiderail and bridge. These drivers will be looking the opposite way to see if it's clear to turn, and may barely slow down. The cyclist was lucky this time around, but it will catch up with him eventually.
Advocate for better cycling facilities. In the mean time, if you do choose to ride on the sidewalk because it's the best option, ride smart!
A couple of weeks ago, I learned about International Bike to Work Day on Feb 13, 2015. I was up for the challenge and immediately signed up to ride that day. I've ridden in cold weather before, but only about minus 5C or warmer. When that morning came, the temperature read -22C (-33C with the windchill), but it was a clear sunny day, and I remained undaunted. My original plan was to combine biking and transit for the 35 km, but I didn't have that much time to spare, so I threw my bike in the back of my truck, parked about 10 km away from work, and biked the rest of the way.
Here I am riding the Tom Taylor Trail (check out the bare pavement):
I have a few observations from my winter ride:
1. I was quite warm, though my fingers and toes started to get uncomfortable toward the end. I could have used warmer boots and gloves (mitts) to help with this.
2. My mountain bike took more effort than I expected, particularly up the hills, for several reasons:
- slower bike than I'm used to (thicker tires, no clip-in shoes)
- terrain is a little rough in the winter
- things don't lubricate as well in the cold (e.g. my bike wouldn't shift to low gear for an unknown reason)
3. Newmarket has awesome winter trail maintenance; Aurora does not
4. It was a fun way to start the day and I'd definitely like to do it more often.
5. Most people I talk to think it's crazy to bike in winter. It's certainly not considered normal in the 905.
I find it interesting to see which cities have high participation in winter bike to work day. It's an indicator that they have normalized winter cycling.
# of Participants in 2015 Winter Bike to Work Day
York Region - 3 (including me)
Mississauga - 2
Brampton - 2
Hamilton - 13
Toronto - 44
Peterborough - 44
Thunder Bay - 21
Ottawa - 115
Montreal - 292
Winnipeg - 179
Saskatoon - 38
Edmonton - 219
Calgary - 292
Ankorage - 194
Minneapolis - 275
Halifax - 62
2015 Winter Bike to Work Day made headlines in some Canadian cities: Edmonton | Halifax | Winnipeg
I'm hoping that it will catch on here in York Region too.
I found this video I took a few years ago of my bike commute from Maple (Keele/Major Mackenzie) to Downsview (Keele/Wilson) area of Toronto. It's about 18 km, which typically took me about 45-55 minutes on my road bike. I've moved and changed jobs since then, so no longer ride it. But between 2007 and 2012, I rode it hundreds of times. I'd sometimes vary the route, depending on my mood, or whether I was pressed for time, or wanted to explore a new area. Every ride gave me time to think, and pump my lungs, and feel the wind against my face.
This video is 4x actual speed, so looks a lot scarier than it actually was. And yes, I rode on the sidewalk, cautiously and courteously, for some of busy high speed roads with infrequent pedestrians encounters (e.g. Keele from Steeles to Langstaff). It needs some cycling infrastructure.
The Finch hydro corridor trail opened in 2012, providing an off-street east-west connection on my route to the Dufferin Street bike lanes north of Steeles, and on to the Bartley Smith Greenway. But it was several km of out-of-way travel, so I stuck with my original route most of the time.
In the next few years, there are plans for dedicated bike facilities on Keele Street from Steeles to Hwy 7, as well as on Hwy 7 in Vaughan, and others. Things are looking up!
