Bike Share Toronto wants to add 750 new bicycles to its growing fleet, though the request comes as the provincial government has passed legislation to curtail the city’s ability to expand its cycling network.
The Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) runs Toronto’s Bike Share program. This month, Scott Collier, the agency's president, asked the TPA’s board of directors to approve a $9-million purchase for 450 bikes, 300 e-bikes, 350 electric charging stations and 180 solar charging stations.
The proposed expansion comes as the TPA pushes into the final phase of the agency’s 2025 growth plans.
If approved, the new equipment would mean Bike Share Toronto owns nearly 8,000 regular bikes, over 2,000 e-bikes and nearly 1,400 e-bike docks across more than 1,000 stations across the city.
The new gear would hit Toronto’s streets next spring, right in time for peak cycling season. It would mark a much bigger expansion compared to earlier this year when the TPA added 160 e-bikes, 350 e-bike docks and 78 new stations.
The new Bike Share stations will be concentrated in underserved areas of the city, including Rexdale, Scarborough Centre and Agincourt.
“This will allow the program to have a presence in every ward, providing greater accessibility options across the city,” the TPA said in its 2025 budget summary.
More stations are also planned for the downtown core where the agency said demand in the city’s busiest areas has continued to “surge.”
Bike Share ridership has been growing in recent years. In 2019, the TPA reported there were 2.4 million Bike Share rides in Toronto, earning the agency $4 million in revenue.
This year the number of Bike Share rides in the city has so far jumped to nearly 6.5 million. The number surpassed the TPA’s expectations by 200,000 rides.
Since 2019, revenue has grown to over $13 million.
The 2025 budget forecasts nearly seven million bike share rides in Toronto and about $14.8 million in annual revenue.
Bike Share Toronto could see even more users if University-Rosedale Coun. Diane Saxe has her way.
Saxe asked the TPA’s board of directors to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to rent standard bike shares without their parents’ or guardians’ supervision. Saxe also asked for 14 to 16-year-olds to be able to rent a standard Bike Share if they are accompanied by a legal guardian.
The TPA’s expansion plans come at a time when the provincial government has limited the ability of cities to expand their cycling networks. The Doug Ford government on Monday passed a bill to tear out the bike lanes on Yonge, University and Bloor streets.
Under Bill 212, called the “Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act,” cities must obtain Queen’s Park’s approval before installing new bike lanes if adding one would mean removing a vehicle lane.
Many existing Bike Share stations run along Yonge, University and Bloor streets, plus other busy roads in the downtown core, like Adelaide and Richmond streets, where cyclists take advantage of the dedicated lanes.
The city has already finalized a large-scale cycling network expansion plan that was to be enacted over the next three years — though this could now be put on hold thanks to Bill 212.
Between 2025 and 2027, the City of Toronto committed to adding 100 kilometres of new and upgraded bike lanes across the city. This includes in the downtown core and the city’s outer reaches — such as Rexdale, Agincourt and Scarborough Centre — where the TPA said the new bike stations will live.
In the face of Bill 212, Justin Hanna, the director of Bike Share Toronto, said the TPA “must balance the needs of its customers – both cyclists and drivers – who are navigating a complex and bustling city.”
“TPA advocates for evidence-based mobility decisions to address the diverse mobility needs of residents, businesses and visitors, which includes the provision of cycling infrastructure that helps cyclists get to their destination safely and efficiently,” he added.
