Bike Share is finally coming to the Toronto Islands

Thankfully, it looks like the days of dragging your bike on the ferry will soon be over. Starting this summer, visitors to the Toronto Islands will finally be able to use Bike Share Toronto, due to a new motion passed by City Council last week.

Councillors voted by a show of hands during an April 23-24 session to adopt a motion from Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik that will allow Bike Share Toronto to operate on the Toronto Island for the first time.

The move marks a significant shift in policy after more than three decades of exclusivity held by a private rental company, namely the Toronto Island Bicycle Rental, which rents bikes, tandem bikes, and quadricycles or scenic rides across the chain of islands.

For this to happen, the City amended its agreement with the company, which included a five-year extension with no fee increases. In exchange, the rental company agreed to drop its exclusivity clause over bike rentals on the island. The company currently pays $83,000 annually in licensing fees and 2 per cent of its gross yearly revenue to the City.

The pilot program, which is set to launch this summer, will bring a total of 200 Bike Share Toronto bicycles to two locations in Toronto Island Park, namely Ward's Island Ferry Landing and Hanlan's Ferry Landing.

Bike Share Toronto and Parks and Recreation are set to collect data and feedback to measure the success of the pilot to inform future expansions.

Toronto Island Bicycle Rental will be the only other company allowed to rent bikes there until 2031, and will be the sole source of two and four-seat bicycle options.