GO West, T.O. Cyclist!

The following article was submitted by veronica, I Bike TO's intrepid, undercover reporter.

Having spent the last dozen years cycling around TO, I think I've hit just about every inch of the city from North York to Kingston Road, to the Island to Royal York, - been there/know those potholes. Lately, I've been itching to expand my range. So when an invitation came my way to have dinner at the Glenn Abbey in Oakville, I figured it was a perfect opportunity for me and my folding bike to go exploring.

Oakville Welcomes You

I knew, from a previous driveby of Oakville, that there are some nice looking, totally separated from road and sidewalk, bike lanes that criss cross through Oakville. So my first step was to get hold of one of their cycling maps. Nothing on the Town's website, so I phoned up city hall and after bouncing around to a few places finally got transfered to the correct department. The conversation went something like this:

me: I'd like to get a cycling map for Oakville, please.

Oakville staff person [OSP]: Certainly, our maps are for sale at the Town office.

[me thinks: For sale? You mean I've got to pay money for this thing? But I'm a cyclists a.k.a. cheapskates! Oh well, never mind.]

me: Well I'm from out of town. And I'll be arriving to Oakville in the evening. Is there anywhere else I can purchase one.
[me thinks: like maybe the GO station?]

OSP: No. We only sell them at the Town office. You'll have to come in to get one.

me: Well that's not going to happen. Can you suggest something else?

OSP: Do you know anyone who lives in Oakville who can pick one up for you?

me: Well, if I asked around, I'd probably find someone. But the reason I would know them is because they are here, which means they wouldn't be in Oakville during your office hours. Can't I purchase one over the phone and have it mailed to me?

OSP: No, we don't do that.

me: >big sigh< You really don't want me to have one of these maps do you?

OSP: >sheepishly< It does look that way, doesn't it.

Okay, so the bike map's a bust. But if nothing else I am tenacious. So I turn to that old standby - six degrees of separation - and put out an email call for assistance. And out of the ether materialize Kevin and Morgan, two Oakville-based cyclists who provide outstanding information and plot out a route for me and tip me off to an awesome website: gmap-pedometer. Thank you guys!

Now I knew that GO Transit doesn't allow bicycles during rush hour, but surely a folding bike would be acceptable. GO's response: Stop calling me Shirley.

Okkkkay - how about if I disguise the folding bike while on the train. Unfortunately, my old canvas hockey bag, as large as it is, couldn't accommodate the folding bike. Darn it all.

In the end, given that the distance was only 3.7 km, I said, heck with it, I'll walk. Which gave me an opportunity to observe what it would be like to make the trip by/with a bicycle.

Its clear from the minute you step into a GO train that this is a commuter service. It can accommodate you and your briefcase and that's it. And I'm talking one of those slim handheld briefcases, not the legal briefcase on wheels that our staff cart around. Yes, I could have found a space to tuck in a folding bike, but if everyone had one, the aisleways would be completely blocked.

At the Oakville station the bike rack was front and center and almost completely full. Way to go Oakville! But that was it as far as cycling infrastructure. Cyclists here have to fight the traffic coming out from no less than 3 parking lots, all funneling through the same exit. Although its certainly doable, I was kind of glad I was on foot. The roads looked narrow and I don't imagine that the cars would be willing to give up much road space. Not because they are mean or unpleasant, just that the drivers all had a very intent, "I want to get out of here now" expression on their faces. I encountered two cyclists on North Service Road. Both were using the shoulder/sidewalk.

I don't know what the rest of the city is like, but the route from Dorval to the GO station didn't look very cycle friendly. Hats off and a thumbs up to all you Oakville cyclists brave enough to make the trip.

But isn't cycling suppose to be one of the solutions to Hamilton-GTA gridlock?

To answer that question, I decided to drop in on the G-double-T-A board meeting on Friday October 26th.

For starters, it was a good thing that nobody did a head count because I'm pretty sure the 60 persons maximum occupancy rule was broken. It was standing room only. Besides the consultants circling like sharks, and activists immediately recognizable by their pony tails and casual attire, there were municipal and GO transit staff and at least one mainstream media reporter.

The number of people present made more sense when I clued in that this year's budget was $8.8 million (of which only 30% has been spent) rising to $10 million next year. And this is just the money to be spent predominantly on planning and marketing. And G-double-T-A has gone on record that they will be a lean and mean organization so most of this money will be flowing outward.

Enterprise Canada Communications is already in line for money having been retained to prepare the Strategic Communications Framework. The word that best describes their presentation - BORING! If they're putting together the media blitz, ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to sell your sleep aid stock because they're bound to come up with a sure fire cure for insomnia. However, this was the first presentation to the Board where the word "cycling" crept in. Specifically, one of the target audiences for the communication strategy will be cycling organizations. Are you listening TCAT? TCAC? Ontario Cycling Association?. Another target audience is tourism organizations. Bike Train this might be a good time to step in, n'est pas? And I really think that Bicycle Trade Association of Canada should worm its way in here as a counter point to the CAA. Public consultations will begin as early as December 2007, with a draft of the Regional Transport Plan to be completed by May 2008, so we should hit them soon and hit them often.

One side note, Enterprise CC made reference to consulting with transit commuters. David Miller, not my most favourite person at this moment, was all over that like white on rice. He, quite rightly, pointed out that commuters were a subset of transit users and that for a regional transportation system to be truly functional it needs to cater to the broader transit user community not just commuters. And therein lies the philosophical difference between GO Transit and TTC.

The other presentation which mentioned cycling was the GO Transit presentation. This presentation was made at the Board's request to be updated about GO Transit's parking situation. To their credit, GO staff took a broader view and talked about all modes of access to their station which pans out as follows: by bicycle 0.5 - 1%; by local transit 8%; on foot - 9% (thanks mostly to Union Station); kiss 'n ride - 15% and park & ride - 67%.

Now, GO Transit may think of itself as being in the transit business, but when you manage 48,500 parking spaces and growing, excuse me gentlemen, but you're in the parking business! They also recognize that they have a problem and acknowledged that some of their stations were designed as fortresses to keep out the walking public. Some steps they're taking to rectify the problem: covered bicycle racks in areas highly visible to staff to discourage theft, walking improvements like a connection between Oriole Station and Leslie Station. [And while you're at it, could you make a walkway to Ikea, please?]. But most of their efforts are still on parking. Between 1500 and 2000 new spaces a year. And since Hazel McCallion has put her foot down and said no more land for parking in Mississauga, at least half of the GO stations will be getting multi-story parking garages. If you think you have trouble getting out of the GO lot now, just wait!

Someone on the Board, sorry I didn't catch who, asked what incentives is GO giving to people who don't park (ie walk, cycle or use public transit). The answer: none, with the exception of those that take public transit. Their fare is subsidized by GO, except in Toronto.

Standing next to me at the meeting was a GO employee. So I asked him a question that didn't come up in the presentation: what percentage of the GO fare goes to pay for parking? It seems obvious to me that they should break out the cost for parking, lower the train fare to reflect what it actually costs to take the train, and charge people separately for the parking. The answer: GO doesn't break out the costs, it all goes into one pot. Since the service started in 1967, GO has always offered free parking to entice people to use the service.

You know, in 1967 that made sense. But given today's congestion, higher gas prices, higher parking costs in Toronto etc etc - isn't it time for a re-think?

Will the G-double T-A make life better for cyclists? I'm not sure. But the times they are a-changing. Its still early days and if we lobby fast and furious, with a unified voice, and from all directions, we might just get what we need.