First ride the rails
The Globe and Mail - May 17, 2008
by Susan Krashinsky
A Toronto cycling advocate is trying to turn drivers into part-time cyclists, and he aims to do it by putting them on trains.
Every Sunday, starting June 1, Donald Wiedman will be encouraging people to take a GO train to Ajax's lakeside bike paths. They will be given maps from the train station to a 15-kilometre ride on the Trans Canada Trail and Waterfront Trail. A student will also be on hand to answer questions.
"I'm hoping people enjoy it so much that they make a link in their minds between their bicycle and the transit system," Mr. Wiedman said, adding that many people don't know they can take their bikes on the GO train.
The paths go from Ajax to Scarborough's Rouge Hill station, where cyclists can hop the GO back to the city to avoid busy roads - their only option when waterfront paths cut off for a long stretch of suburb.
"Some people may call me the new Henry Hudson. I've discovered the northeast passage through Scarborough!" Mr. Wiedman laughed. As a ward captain with the new cyclists union, he plans to lobby for that gap to be filled in so cyclists can enjoy uninterrupted rides.
For now, he hopes weekend cyclists will start to think about using their bikes for commuting as well as recreation. "My dream will be realized when I see 100 or 150 bikes parked at the GO station on a weekday," he said.
