Hey, Bike Share Toronto community!! We are just around the corner to summertime and we’re pretty excited. Days are getting longer and warmer, which means we get even more time to spend travelling our city streets and trails from the seat of a #BikeShareTO bike. Wondering where to start? Let us help you – read on!
For this edition of our station spotlight blog, join us as we explore one of our most popular stations – Humber Bay Shore Park West. Nestled on the border of Etobicoke, this station is the ideal place to pick up a Bike Share Toronto bike and easily hop onto the iconic Great Lakes Waterfront Trail, locally known as the Martin Goodman Trail, where you can ride next to Lake Ontario to our farthest station on the east end, Queen St E & Nursewood Rd.
Did you know that the Humber Bay Shore Park West station was one of our most popular Valet Stations during summer weekends last year? You might even be wondering, “what is a valet station?” May through September, Valet Stations exist in high usage areas – like the Martin Goodman Waterfront Trail – with an extra supply of bikes to ensure everyone has a bike to ride or a spot to dock your bike. You will be met by a Bike Share Toronto Community Ambassador at these designated locations, who will have extra bikes on hand and be ready to help you with any bike share related questions. So come by, grab a bike and let’s get riding!
When you’re cruising on your black and green bike, keep your eye out for a secret garden! There is an open-air public butterfly habitat just on the east end of the park! Take a breather from city life and explore the Humber Bay Butterfly Habitat and pretend that you could travel to a place a little more remote. With the butterflies arriving back into the area between April-October, this is the perfect time to come and explore!
Photo credit: Blog TO
Once you’ve soothed the wanderlust built up during the multiple lockdowns, keep riding the trail eastbound back towards the downtown core. You may notice that there is a lot of water traffic. It’s not uncommon to see stand-up paddle boards, canoes, and even rowers out on Lake Ontario.
Curious how you can maybe try the sport of rowing? Keep coasting ( or in rowing terms “let it run”) and head over to the Argonaut Rowing Club (not to be confused with our CFL team, the Toronto Argonauts). A staple on Lake Ontario since 1904, the Argonaut Rowing Club has been the premier place to learn to row, and who knows, you might even meet an Olympian or two!
Photo Credit: Argonaut Rowing Club
By this time, you’re probably getting a little hungry from pedalling some good KMs. Never fret – when you’re riding the waterfront, you’re bound to find a food truck or two along the way. From the classic ice cream truck, to something a little more filling like shawarma or burrito, check out the Toronto Food Truck website or app to plan your (stomach) fuel stops on route!
Enjoy the adventure with Bike Share Toronto, and download the PBSC app on your smartphone to see what experiences are waiting for you. Don’t forget to tag us wherever your bike may take you! #BikeShareTO
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