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Biking to the City

Multi-use trails wind along major rivers through Toronto, from the city's north boundary to the downtown core. Connection to public transport and points of interest along the way make the paths accessible, variable, and a "destination". I live in the suburbs of Toronto and recently took some bike rides from my home to downtown, mostly through the bike trail system. Although the rides were long (~40km one-way), they were very enjoyable and I definitely appreciated the city more for having such a great active, natural space. It felt both protected from and a part of the city. It was the beginning of fall when I rode and the trails were packed with people soaking in the sun.

I haven't been on all the trails, but from the ones I have (Humber River and Don River, if anyone from T.O. is reading!),

Some of the great things were:

• Accessibility: The trails are made up of existing parks, so there were many entry/exit points along the way. The trails are also accessible by public transportation (that accept bikes) at most of the points.
  

• Setting: The beautiful natural surrounding. In the fall, the colours and salmon attract a lot of people. The stitching together of existing parks also made for different characters.
  
• Activities:  Proximity of the entries/exits to food and attractions (such as the Evergreen Brick Works); Seating and viewpoints to stop at along the trail, within nature; Green space where people had picnics, relaxed
  
• Usability: Well-paved and (mostly) well-signed paths; info panels about the area, history, natural elements

Some of the not-so-great things were:

• Orientation: Lack of signage between parks, when you have to make connections on roads; Lack of an overall map to understand where I was within the whole trail

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