Bike Month in Toronto kicks off with Bike to Work Day on June 6
By SEAN SANDIESON
The City of Toronto will celebrate the start of Bike Month with a Bike to Work Day tomorrow morning.
Toronto’s annual cycling celebration will kick off on Thursday, June 6, when Mayor Olivia Chow and other members of Toronto Council will ride to Nathan Phillips Square to participate in Bike to Work Day Co-hosted by Cycle Toronto.
Cyclists can join the group ride at any of four different points around the city.
East Toronto residents can join from East Lynn Park on Danforth Avenue just west of Woodbine Avenue at 7 a.m.
Other meetup points are the southeast corner of Bloor Street and High Park Avenue at 7 a.m.; the southeast corner of Davisville Avenue and Yonge Street at 7:15 a.m.; and the southeast corner of Bay and Charles streets at 7:30 a.m.
“Toronto keeps moving forward on becoming an outstanding cycling city. Bike Month is a chance to celebrate the convenience, practicality, and joy riding a bike can offer and help foster a culture of cycling. Being a part of Bike Month doesn’t require special attire or have to be an identity. It can be as simple as rediscovering your neighborhood one pedal at a time. I look forward to seeing folks on June 6 for the Bike to Work Day group ride to City Hall.” said Michael Longfield, Executive Director of Cycle Toronto, in a news release.
Beginning in 1989, Bike Month in Toronto encourages citizens to continue to ride more often and raise awareness of cycling as a way to get around the city.
From June 1 to June 30 Bike Month features a wide array of bike-themed events all around Toronto such as free group rides, workshops, contests, social events, and webinars.
Each year more and more people choose to cycle thanks to the city’s expanding improvements in infrastructure to make cycling safer and build a connected bikeway network, which includes the installation of 20 protected intersections, providing queuing areas for bikers, and reducing driver speeds.
“The City of Toronto is committed to promoting cycling and increasing cycling safety beyond this month of special events,” said Mayor Chow in a news release.
“As a cyclist, I’m happy to see Toronto’s cycling infrastructure expand year-over-year while increasing safety and providing more opportunities for people to get around our beautiful city. Cycling provides numerous benefits to Toronto residents and the environment. I encourage everyone to cycle when they can and explore the many Bike Month events available throughout the city.”
For more information on Bike Month in Toronto, please go to https://www.bikemonth.ca/toronto
