Mayor John Tory on behalf of the City of Toronto and the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) and the Canadian Automobile Association South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) today announced that Bike Share Toronto’s Free Ride Wednesdays is back again this year.
Thanks to the sponsorship of CAA South Central Ontario, starting on Wednesday, August 7, Bike Share Toronto riders will ride for free every Wednesday in the month of August. Riders can take a bike for up to 30 minutes, return the bike to any station and take out another bike for another free 30-minute ride.
The benefits of bike sharing are undeniable and more and more Torontonians are enjoying them. As of the end of July, there were more than 1.2 million rides taken in 2019. This is the fastest the system has hit the one-million-ride milestone in a year.
With CAA South Central Ontario joining the promotion of Free Ride Wednesdays, it is hoped that the more than 950,000 CAA members living in the GTA will help increase ridership and awareness of Bike Share Toronto even further.
With the recent expansion of the system, Bike Share Toronto now comprises 465 bike stations, 5,000 bikes and 8,550 docking points.
Take advantage of Bike Share Toronto’s Free Ride Wednesdays in August:
• Download CycleFinder or visit the station map to find a station near you.
• Go to any of the 465 bike share stations between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on one of the Wednesdays in August.
• Select “Buy a pass” on the kiosk touch screen and select “$0 One-Day,” then insert your credit card and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also obtain your pass on Transit or CycleFinder by selecting “Purchase Access Pass” on the apps. There is a refundable $20 deposit per bike.
• After completing the transaction, type in the code you received into the keypad on the left side of the docking point of the bike of your choice.
• Go out and explore Toronto for up to a maximum of 30 minutes. Fees will apply if ride exceeds the allotted 30 minutes.
• Return your bike to any station.
• Take out another bike for a free 30-minute ride – as many times as you like.
More information about Free Ride Wednesdays is available at https://bikesharetoronto.com/free-ride-wednesday/.
Quotes:
“As Toronto continues to grow, it’s vital that we keep people moving. For the past four years, the City of Toronto has invested in the expansion of Bike Share Toronto to ensure that all residents and visitors are able to cycle around the city. Free Ride Wednesdays is a great opportunity to explore the city and encourage more people to use this important service.”
– Mayor John Tory
“We are proud to support Free Ride Wednesdays for the month of August. Whether on two wheels or four, our members enjoy different ways of getting around town and Bike Share Toronto is a great resource. Our support of this annual initiative is a meaningful way to give back to our members and their communities in a way that aligns with our longstanding history of supporting cycling in communities.”
– Rhonda English, Chief Marketing Officer, CAA South Central Ontario.
“Free Ride Wednesdays are a great way to enjoy the city and to get to know Toronto’s bike sharing program. We are very grateful to Canadian Automobile Association of South Central Ontario for sponsoring Free Ride Wednesdays once again this year, and for their strong history of supporting cycling in communities.”
– Hartley Lefton, Chair of the Toronto Parking Authority Board
About TPA
Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) exists to provide our customers with safe, attractive, self-sustaining, conveniently located and competitively priced off-street and on-street public parking and Bike Share services as integral components of Toronto’s transportation system. Our services support the vibrancy of businesses and the livability of communities, being sensitive to the environment, and ultimately supporting the mobility of Toronto’s citizens, businesses and visitors – our customers. TPA is the proud owner of Bike Share Toronto, a reliable, green, and fun transportation option for residents and visitors to get around in the city.
About CAA South Central Ontario
For more than a hundred years, CAA has been helping Canadians stay mobile, safe and protected. CAA South Central Ontario is one of nine auto clubs across Canada providing roadside assistance, travel, insurance services and member savings for our over 2 million members.
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