Monday, February 13, 2012Partly Cloudy 1°C
City

TTC Adds Bike Racks to More Buses

Posted by Joshua / August 28, 2008

TTC Bus Bike RackIn their effort to equip 100% of Toronto's buses with bike racks by 2010, the TTC has announced that beginning Sunday, 19 more bus routes will become bicycle friendly. This will bring the fleet of bike rack equipped buses to 43.

What started as a pilot project a couple years ago, with just a few select (mostly north-south) routes, is now expanding to be an option accessible to riders in many parts of the city, heading in any direction. Although bikes are allowed on all TTC vehicles, the bus bicycle racks are the only option during the rush periods.

The new routes are as follows:

35 Jane
36 Finch West
41 Keele
46 Martin Grove
60 Steeles West
79 Scarlett Rd
84 Sheppard West
99 Arrow Rd
101 Parc Downsview Park
106 York University
108 Downsview
120 Calvington
130 Middlefield
131 Nugget
132 Milner
191 Highway 27 Rocket
308 Finch East
309 Finch West
313 Jane

These added routes follow the same rules as the existing ones. Each bus will hold two bikes and during the rush period if a bus already has two bikes on it then you must wait until the next one. Outside the rush period additional bikes can be brought on the bus with the driver's ok. You cannot lock your bicycle to the rack, but you can have a lock on your bike (i.e. frame and wheel). There is no additional fare for use of the rack.

Using the bicycle racks is pretty easy, and the TTC also has an instructional video.

The existing routes include:

7 Bathurst
14 Glencairn
9 Dufferin
38 Highland Creek
39 Finch East
47 Lansdowne
53 Steeles East
61 Avenue Rd North
63 Ossington
85 Sheppard East
98 Willowdale-Senlac
105 Dufferin North
109 Ranee
125 Drewry
129 McCowan North
133 Neilson
134 Progress
161 Rogers Rd
193 Exhibition Rocket
310 Bathurst
316 Ossington
329 Dufferin
353 Steeles East
385 Sheppard East

Photo by Bitpicture.

Discussion

19 Comments

Damon Kemp / August 28, 2008 at 11:56 am
user-pic
Why did it take the TTC so long to add racks to their buses? In Hawaii they had these on their buses back in late '97.
Christopher King / August 28, 2008 at 12:05 pm
user-pic
Does anyone use these things? I mean, they're a great idea. Keeps people like me who used to poop out and take my bicycle on the bus from hogging the aisles.
Shannon / August 28, 2008 at 12:15 pm
user-pic
still not much for the west side i see, like major routes like kipling, east & west mall and islington. but scarlett get these?
Aaron / August 28, 2008 at 12:46 pm
user-pic
being from the west coast, and having bike racks on busses for as long as I can remember, I'm still in awe with how far behind the TTC actually is in this regard.
Joshua / August 28, 2008 at 01:02 pm
user-pic
@Aaron: Coming from Chicago, where they are also on every bus, it never occured to me that they wouldn't be on buses here. Then I noticed a big feature in the bike map about the "pilot project." Better late than never.
Jerrold / August 28, 2008 at 01:12 pm
user-pic
I don't think I've ever seen a bus with a bike on the rack.
Danielle / August 28, 2008 at 01:18 pm
user-pic
Who really uses these? This is supposed to be big TTC infrastructure/biking news but I really don't see the point. I'd prefer more bike parking at certain big stations, real RACKS at others.
Corina / August 28, 2008 at 01:28 pm
user-pic
I see people use these... and unfortunately it takes the bus an extra 10 minutes at each stop with a bike involved... not to mention the shuffling when there's multiple bikes on the racks. I guess it's a nice idea but pretty impractical.

FYI... The ROM also recently unveiled it's new fancy bike racks out front, which look much too intricate to fit a bike lock through but they're cool nonetheless!

I've added some photos to my stream on flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27753146@N06/
Joshua / August 28, 2008 at 01:44 pm
user-pic
One of the things I like in Chicago - and it may be true elsewhere, but I don't know - is the availability of bike racks inside some stations. It's more secure than the options outside the stations, and a lot harder for a couple guys in a van to access.

I think the TTC bus racks will be more popular when they're all over. If I have to go up that hill on Dufferin, though, I'll look for a bus!
Ezra / August 28, 2008 at 02:19 pm
user-pic
I actually spotted bike racks on the 104 Faywood bus yesterday. Was that a mistake?
Disparishun / August 28, 2008 at 02:44 pm
user-pic
Are these free to use? Do you need a Metropass to use them for free? Is the TTC now looking to start charging for their use, to avoid having to have everyone subsidize the few who take advantage of them?

(Kidding.)
magda / August 28, 2008 at 03:08 pm
user-pic
I use these all the time.
I feel bad to inconvenience the riders because I usually fumble quite a bit getting my bike secure on there, not to mention my anxiety worrying that my wonderful bike is going to fall off the rack and fumble under the bus' wheels.

I wish they had those on the streetcar somehow though, cos getting north south is easy, but east west is all streetcars south of Dupont.

How will they manage that?
kettunainen / August 28, 2008 at 06:49 pm
user-pic
An extra 10 minutes? Um, whomever is using the rack doesn't know what they're doing if it takes THAT long. My partner uses the rack all the time, and it takes an extra minute and a half, tops. The racks are easy to use and I wish every bus had them. Wish the streetcars had them, too, because getting bikes on and off the streetcars are awful. Takes much longer (but still not TEN minutes!!!).
Michael / August 28, 2008 at 07:30 pm
user-pic
With all due respect, I couldn't diagree more with Corina's comment that "it takes the bus an extra 10 minutes at each stop with a bike involved." As someone who has used these racks several times, I can tell you that it takes me no more than 30 sec to load / unload both mine & my wife's bike from these racks.

I'm so sure of that, I'll be happy to wager $100 with anyone who thinks this is not possible.
jack / August 28, 2008 at 07:34 pm
user-pic
are they going to reduce the token price and metropass price since token users have been subsidizing parking and metropass holders no long park for free?
Chico Sanchez / August 28, 2008 at 08:06 pm
user-pic
What a joke. This city seriously needs better underground transportation-both in speed and size. New York City is currently building the 2nd Avenue line. Enough of the NIMBY syndrome here in Toronto and all the bullshit bureaucracy. You can cross the city north to south on an express train without stopping at every station. Who ever thought of that? No more glamorized streetcars.
Eric / August 29, 2008 at 09:47 pm
user-pic
Michael, considering this is a new scheme for the TTC and it's riders, i doubt bike riders using this system for the first time will put on and take off their bikes in 30 seconds.

Secondly, how much is fitting the busses costing us? I'm sure these stupid racks are the cause of the 3 million dollar shortfall that the metropass parking lot fiasco is addressing.
Anton / August 30, 2008 at 02:42 pm
user-pic
Funding for bike racks and bike storage across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area was provided by Metrolinx - the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority. http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2008/20/c2295.html
Amanda / August 31, 2008 at 12:01 pm
user-pic
I've used this rack twice before and each time loading it was a hassle. When I asked if the driver could show me how to load my bike on (the very first time I used it - after I fumbled with it for a moment and felt bad for holding the bus up) - she seemed inconvenienced and rude. Like Magda said before, I was worried about if I had properly locked my bike in or if it would fall out. I found it kind of stressful. Maybe if I knew how to use it properly, I wouldn't feel that way.

The route I normally take is the 126 Christie (which normally doesn't have a bike rack on the front) and some of the bus drivers have threatened to not let me on the bus with my bike even when it wasn't during rush hour. When it is late at night and I want to home ... sometimes I just want to take the bus.

I think that the TTC need to let its drivers know what is rules and regulations with bikes because half of them don't even know.

Add a Comment

Other Cities: VancouverMontreal