Bike Share Toronto adding 105 new stations in $7.5M expansion

Bike Share Toronto got a boost on Thursday with an announcement by Mayor John Tory that the program is adding 1,250 new bikes and 105 new stations across Toronto.

The additions bringthe city's entire bike share network to 5,000 bikes, 465 station and 8,550 docking positions.

Tory said the $7.5-million expansion is necessary given the rapid growth in the number of people using bikes to get around, especially for short trips.

"In the past 12 months alone, Bike Share Toronto reached a new record of 2.1 million rides, the most rides ever in a 12-month period," Tory said a morning news conference at Dentonia Park in the east end.

"By the end of the week, we're projecting to hit a million trips so far this year, the fastest that Bike Share has hit a million rides in any year of its existence so far."

As with previous expansions of the network, many of the new Bike Share Toronto locations will be installed near TTC subway stations to encourage cyclists to hop on public transit.

"This is one more option that we want people to have to move around the city other than in a car," Torysaid.

"We're obviously trying to address the issue of congestion in our city, but also things that go with that, which include environmental degradation."

Bike Share Toronto stations will be situated in new neighbourhoods, with locationsas far north as Yonge Street and Lawrence Avenue, west to the Junction and High Park Neighbourhood, and as far east as Victoria Park and Kingston Road.

"The Toronto Parking Authority is pleased to be expanding the bike share system once again this year," said acting president Robin Oliphant.

The parking authority oversees the city's bike share network.

"The service is very popular in Toronto and receives great support, as is shown in the increase in membership numbers and number of rides. Bike sharing gives people more options to get where they need to go, allows people to stay active, and creates a more sustainable way to get around."