Cycles Around the City: the Bike Lane Network of Scarborough

While cycling in Scarborough is far from satisfying, what can be improved to create a safer and more enjoyable experience for bikers?

BY: JINGSHU HELEN YAO

I still remember my first sight of Toronto. It was a chilling night in early May, and I had just experienced a tiring 12-hour international flight. When the chief flight attendant made the announcement that we would land in the Toronto Pearson Airport very soon, I peered out of the tiny window on my side. 

The first view I saw was a huge web of light spread out below us. It was the transportation network that connected the different parts of the big city. With the plane lowering its altitude, I then saw all the small spots of lights that moved along the complicated network. 

Cities’ view from high above resembles the image of the neuron network in brain scanning. The roads are the pathways and each individual car is the simulation that enables the different functions and reactions.

Night view of Toronto From an airplane/ Photo courtesy of Flickr  // Scanning of neuron activation in human brain/ Photo courtesy of IFLS

No matter what initial impression and expectation the first sight of the city gave me, I soon realized that not everyone can have a place on that fascinating network of lights. Not everyone has the luxury of owning a car or the ability to drive a car. They were left out of the superficial image of the transportation network. Many shared the lights of the bus, many followed the lights to the underground train. But some of them decided not to have lights of their own. They are the bikers.

Biking in Scarborough wasn’t a pleasant experience for me at first. The geology structure of this area decides the steep slopes, valley, and trails that bikers may encounter. It might be a welcomed challenge by bikers who wish to improve their skills or using biking as a method of working out. However, it wasn't very enjoyable for those who plan to use bikes as a means of transportation in their daily lives. I would rather not run down a steep hill with a full basket of groceries, nor do I appreciate a long trail up the hill if I was already running late for class. 

Aside from the challenge of the landform, the design of the road itself wasn’t very cycler-friendly. Even though effort was made to improve the biking environment, most roads have no bike lane. Only a few designated areas, such as the Pan Am path and Waterfront trail, are well designed for cycling. Similarly, these bike lanes, or even exclusive biking zones, are only helpful for cycling skills training or biking as a sport. Most bikers will still have to take the risk of merging with traffic for their daily travel.

Geography of Scarborough/Picture courtesy of ResearchGate

After living in Scarborough for several years, biking still remains to be my preferred method of transportation. Most of the time, I cycled as close to the side of the road as possible, and tried to control my pounding heart when huge trucks passed by my side. Other times I was worried enough to cycle on the sidewalk, but, according to the regulation of The City of Toronto, individuals older than the age of 14 are not allowed to cycle on sidewalks. I often feel guilty for putting the pedestrians under potential risk.

Toronto’s bikeway Network/Picture courtesy of Torontonist

I ran into the side of a left-turning car crossing the road. Had the car been a bit faster, or had I reacted a bit slower, I could have been killed. The car did not stop when I fell off my bike but speeded up and disappeared from sight. At that moment, the magical side of the network of lights slowly faded away, and I started to realize the hidden side of the transportation network and the disadvantage of bikers and pedestrians. 

However, whenever there’s something unsatisfying, there are people who try to improve it. Many groups and individuals recognize the importance of the cycling network and are making an effort to improve it. Scarborough Cycles is the program of non-profit organization Access Alliance that provides free tube up services, prompts safety biking, and encourages an eco-friendly lifestyle with less cars and more bikes. They’re the reason I still appreciate biking even after I got my driver’s license. 

Biking is not only a great way to reduce pollution, but also a good exercise, especially for those of us who tend to spend the day in front of a computer. For me, cycling is also the best way to get to know a city. Cars and buses are too fast for the passengers to notice the details of the places they go through. The subway system mainly runs in the dark. Travelling on foot usually won’t bring you that far. Bicycles have the right speed and space for bikers to get to know the road they pass by.

During my time volunteering with Scarborough Cycles, I became one of the first participants of the “Earn Your Bike” program. Under the facilitation of senior volunteers and bikers, I built my own bike from the donated pieces. It was my first hands-on experience of learning the function of each part of a bicycle, and I still proudly use the bike I built there until today. 

The bike I put together at Scarborough Cycles

Though the change might be slow, it is certainly happening. The Toronto Bike Share is the bike renting system that allows individuals to use bikes at a low cost. The system recently expanded its way to the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus.

Bike Share Toronto Twitter States

Toronto Bike Share Network/ Map courtesy of Bike Share

Even though the network of Bike Share systems still hasn't fully expanded its way to the suburban area, the current stations can help promote the concept of biking as the main way of transportation. Once the community gains awareness, we may expect to see more changes in the future.