For the first time ever, public bike rentals are now available on the Toronto Islands with a new pilot program introduced by Bike Share.
If you’re like me and have ever accidentally been dropped off at the wrong part of the island, you know just how long and exhausting the walk can be in the summer heat if you didn’t lug a bike over from the mainland. As a car-free island and no other methods of transportation available at Ward’s Island and Hanlan’s Point, if you wanted to bike around, you’d have to make your way to Centre Island (a 2.9 km or 3.9 km walk) and hope bikes were still available at the sole bicycle rental company.
Luckily, Bike Share is about to make it a whole lot more convenient to get around, bringing 200 public rental bikes to four locations: Ward’s Island Ferry Dock, Hanlan’s Point Ferry Dock, Center Island Station, and Hanlan’s Point Beach.
Back in April, city councillors voted in favour of a motion put forward by Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik to bring Bike Share Toronto to the islands.
Prior to the pilot project, Toronto Island Bicycle Rental, which rents out tandems, quadricycles, and family-friendly fleet, was the sole bike rental company on the island that has operated for over 30 years, and you can only find it at Centre Island, but their exclusivity agreement has now ended.
Two types of bikes are available through the service: standard classic bikes and pedal-assisted e-bikes.
To rent a bike, users must download the Bike Share Toronto app. From there, they can choose between a flexible short-term pass or an annual membership. Bikes are unlocked by scanning a QR code at the docking station, and users can begin riding immediately.
Once finished, riders simply return the bike to any available Bike Share dock. As for pricing, there are two options: pay-as-you-go, which costs $1 to unlock plus $0.12 per minute for classic bikes, or riders can get a day pass for $15 a day with zero unlocking fees. The day pass includes unlimited rides of up to 90 minutes each.
Toronto Island Bicycle Rental in contrast charges $10 per hour for single bikes, $19 per hour for tandem bikes, $20 per hour for quadricycles, and $38 per hour for four seater quadricycles. Not only will Bike Share bring more convenience to visitors, it will also be much more cost effective.
Keep in mind, the Island Bikes must stay on the island, and cannot be brought back to the mainland to ensure availability. Bike Share staff also will be available on the island in case riders encounter any issues.
As the season progresses, Bike Share will evaluate its success and consider future expansion of bringing more stations to the island. Fingers crossed!