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This Bicycle is Leaving the Station
Toronto is getting the first of what are planned to be several new bicycle stations this morning, aimed at making cycling a more comfortable option for commuters. Nestled into the pedestrian underpass on York Street right by Union Station, the station provides secure, monitored storage for bicycles, as well as changing facilities, a repair stand, and a few other thoughtful amenities, like a vending machine that dispenses tubes and lights.
Twenty-five dollars buys you a lifetime membership, after which you can rent space by the month or in four-month increments; non-members can use the facilities during staffed daytime hours for two dollars. The station can store up to 180 bikes (which means that it can sell approximately three times as many rentals, since not everyone will be using it simultaneously), and is predicted to reach capacity within its first month. There will also (hooray!) be a very small number of bicycles set aside for an in-house bike share program, available during regular business hours.
Torontoist got a sneak peek at Union’s new station last week, and we are now glad to give you, on its opening day, the very first pictures of what is perhaps the first parking lot we have ever really loved.
All photos by Hamutal Dotan/Torontoist.