In July the city installed four Bike Share Toronto stations in the neighbourhood as part of its commitment to improve cycling infrastructure. We had heard only positive things about this development until recently, when two residents wrote to us and Councillor McConnell that they thought the station at Riverdale Park West (north end of Riverdale Park West on Winchester Street) was “incongruous” with the park, the farm house and the Necropolis, that the park “should not be dumping grounds for the latest trend from City Hall” and that the station should be moved (suggested locations were across the street to the Necropolis side of Winchester Street, closer to the eastern end of Winchester or to Sumach Street – or somewhere else).
Due to these complaints the city may review the location of this Bike Share station early in 2017. However, first we would like to get input from you and other residents. So please take our Quick Poll and the results will be shared with you, Councillor McConnell, Parks Forestry and Recreation and Bike Share Toronto. You can also leave comments below if you have suggestions or other thoughts on the matter – please keep it respectful.
**Dec. 1, 2016 4:30 p.m.**
We have closed the poll now as the numbers are getting quite large, we think we have an idea of the general view of respondents (of the 739 respondents, over 97% are in favour of a Bike Share station in the park) and it is likely that we are now getting additional responses from outside of the local community who are also interested in the topic. We will review the results and get back to you. Thank you for participating. If you have a different view or comment to make, we will leave the comments open.
**January 31, 2017**
We shared the poll results with Councillor McConnell in early December and wrote our opinion about the topic.
When the Cabbagetown Residents Association Board of Directors were first contacted about this topic in November, none of the 11 board directors supported moving the station. We reject the idea that bicycles or the bicycle rack/station are incompatible with the current location and the heritage buildings nearby. Many of us believe that bicycles and Bike Share access are a welcome and “welcoming” contribution to the park and are an enhancement to the neighbourhood. The automated “Donation Station” at the west entrance to the farm, plastic recycling/garbage bins, modern picnic benches, electric street lighting and modern signage are all modern elements that contribute positively to the park and do not negatively impact the view of the wonderful heritage buildings – we believe that the Bike Share station is similarly suitable. We think that a prominently sited Bike Share station is not only tolerated, but is *celebrated* by most residents.
If you haven’t been by the park for a while, a few photos are posted here showing the rack and some modern elements within the park. Feel free to leave comments below.
34 replies on “Quick Poll: Bike Share Toronto”
The bike share is an asset to the park, and the network is an asset to the city as a whole.
The complainant sounds like a crazy whining NIMBY (perhaps the same one that lobbied against a children’s splashpad in Wellseley park?).
OMG……….Please don’t remove the bikeshare station. It is being utilized by many of the folks who live in the neighborhood and brings so many people to the farm and the park.
I seldom use my car since the bikeshare station is so useful for doing my errands.
Perhaps a better idea would be to remove all the cars around the park as they do not fit into the esthetique of the farm either.
I believe the bike share stations belong in this neighbourhood and location and NOTHING should be changed.. It’s frustrating that anyone would complain against it, even more so that city council would listen. It’s in a convenient location, does not detract from the aesthetic of the park and is used by a diverse group of residents and visitors.
It’s a fantastic location for a Bikeshare station. The park and the farm are a destination for many Torontonians and tourists, as well as neighbourhood people. Let’s continue to make our parks and cultural gems accessible to as many people as possible.
The Bike Share system is something to applaud – for obvious reasons.
I use this bike station daily to get to work and to complete errands around the neighbourhood.
It is unfortunate that someone see this as a negative. If the comments are an indication, I suspect the results of survey will speak otherwise. It is always a risk when a single resident or group of residents believe they speak for the neighbourhood and demand change on the community’s behalf. Sourcing feedback from everyone via this survey is the right approach – thank you Cabbagetown Residents Assoc!
Thank you for the kind comments. When an issue is raised, we discuss it among the board and often ask a few people outside of the board to make sure that we aren’t insulated from different viewpoints. Fortunately, these online polls are an easy way to get some quick feedback from everyone. Thanks for taking part.
Cool. Thanks for listening.
I was heartened to see the positive feedback to your poll and to read the comments so far in support of the bike station in Riverdale Park. I am so tired of the first world problems that get raised by a few complainants in the neighbourhood – ie this bike station and the Wellesley Park splashpad referenced in one of the earlier comments. Thank you to the Cabbagetown Residents Association for seeking input from others.
Comparing bikes to trash in a dumping ground? How ignorant!
They are just bikes in the park….what on earth is wrong with bikes in the park!
The bike share is amazing and helps people access Riverdale farm. This exclusionist neighbourhood bs has to end. It’s petty and classist. That’s every ones park not one meddlesome man’s
This comment removed. Please keep the conversation respectful. Residents might have different opinions on the matter, but we think that all involved care for the park and the neighbourhood.
Oh my gosh, it is a no brainer! This is precisely what our city and our neighbourhood need! Do not remove this from the park. It is a fantastic addition to our community.
Much more things to fight about! How about pot holes, how about missing signs in the hood, how about all the empty stores on Parliament. How bout we learn to add new things to our neighbourhood and enjoy them. Maybe these people need to get a life.
It”s a bike share thingy. You out them in parks. It is delightful. I am failing to see the problem here.
The only problem with the Bike share station is that it does not have enough bikes. It should be double the size!!!
If we’re being honest, the real dumping ground is that which is used for car parking.
Paved roads are not historically accurate either…so let’s plan on getting rid of them at the same time as the bike racks!
This comment removed. Please keep the conversation respectful. Residents might have different opinions on the matter, but we think that all involved care for the park and the neighbourhood.
What a great community resource! Glad it’s there
I think we should put additional bike rack at the suggested location without removing the current one!
I agree. There never is enough bikes at this particular location.
What a ridiculous complaint. These residents should be ashamed of themselves. Please don’t let them spoil this great resource for the rest of the community.
This issue has nothing to do with Bikeshare, which is a good program. All comments here are not informed about the option – moving it onto Winchester across the road, that is , 50′ from where it is.
That is an interesting opinion. I think the current location is ideal because:
1) The bikeshare station should be visible and close to the “main attraction”, not hidden or tucked away.
2) The more visible and conspicuous a bikeshare station is, the more people notice it exists, which builds Toronto’s cycling community as well as bikeshare network ridership.
3) Moving the bikeshare station to Winchester would displace car parking used by Farm visitors (who are potential Farm donors).
4) The cost of moving the station would waste scarce $$$ that could otherwise be used used to expand the bikeshare network, build more bike lanes, or beautify the park.
Parks are for everyone, not just the adjacent residents. I am perplexed that anyone would oppose bike share racks in any park. Bike racks are neither noisy nor do they emit noxious fumes. (Oops, those complainers will be after the farm animals next, lol) They are eminently park-like in character. I am irked that our municipal government is being asked to deal with such an unfounded and unsupported complaint when the city – especially the transit system and roads – is in tatters. Councillor McConnell, I hope you are able to squelch this complaint without further ado.
PS. The park is the appropriate location for the bike share racks, not a nearby street. On a recent trip to Washington DC, I noticed similar bike racks throughout the park system. They blended in well.
Come on Cabbagetown. Not again! I see another Globe / Toronto Star NIMBY article coming our way.
The rack is terrific, but its location is not the best. The rack is not near any houses and it is not well lit. Also, there is a man who often sleeps on the bench beside the rack. Coming home later in the evening, it does feel a little spooky. I would suggest that the rack would be best placed at the west side of the park along Sumach, preferably the southwest corner where there is already a regular bike rack. I use these bikes four times a day on average when I am in town, and always try to return my bikes to Riverdale west because it is a popular rack and often empty.
The rack is terrific, but its location is not the best. The rack is not near any houses and it is not well lit. Also, there is a man who often sleeps on the bench beside the rack. Coming home later in the evening, it does feel a little spooky. I would suggest that the rack would be best placed at the west side of the park along Sumach, preferably the southwest corner where there is already a regular bike rack. I use these bikes four times a day on average when I am in town, and always try to return my bikes to Riverdale west because it is a popular rack and often empty.
The location has resulted in a very high rate of use. What is this about clutter. Cabbagetown is all about clutte, thats what makes it Cabbagetown. Please do not move them to another space they are great where they are.
Very disapointed with Bike Share Toronto strategy to fool its clients. Prices are misleading for new users. Prices are highlighted as $3.25 Single Trip and $7 Day. So a first user just assumes that if he pays $7, is able to use the bike for the entire day, right? Wrong! In very small letters they tell that you have to exchange bike before every 30 minutes.
So let’s imagine how pleasant for a turist would be to put an alarm every 20 minutes to advise him that he should start looking for a new nearby bike share slot. If he is lucky, he will be able to change for a new bike before passing 1 second over the 30 minutes.
And, for paying $7 a day, he would need to do it successfully for “only” 47 times inside the 24 hours. Very pleasant and factible right?
But if the just took the bike and, due to Sun lights or shadow could not read on the rush the small letters (and correctly interpret those odd rules) and did not exchange bike frantically, just imagining he would take a pleasant ~8hour tour around Toronto, he must be prepared to pay from $50 to $100.
Bike Share also ignores any eventual complaint he might do. Shameful company.
I am totally unhappy with having to pay so much money $60 for renting bikes for a couple of hours when it scammed me into thinking $7 was for 24hours.
@Lola @Jonas
Bikeshare is a point to point system. You pay $7 to access for 24h, and each 30 minute journey is free. It’s awesome and not a “scam”.
It sounds like you kept the bike somewhere (at home?) for 24h, which isn’t how the system is intended to work. The fees are explained fairly clearly on the terminal.
If someone said “take the bus”, would you literally hop in and dive it home too?