Having taken the 504 from Roncys to the core a couple of times in the last 2 weeks during the morning rush hour, I don't understand what the fuss is about. The streetcar never got packed beyond capacity going through Liberty. Yes, you won't have a place to sit, but you can at least get on, no problem. Compare that to 501, where past Dufferin, it may as well not bother stopping. Plus you have the Exhibition loop within walking distance for some parts of Liberty. I'm not sure what the whole fuss is about regarding transit service of that area as is, let alone the fact that the Smart Track station is coming.
It isn't really practical on days like today with all the snow on the ground - but Toronto gets, what, two weeks a year of this type of heavy snow cover? The rest of the year is great for cycling. Most of Toronto's winters seem to hover around freezing these days, which is perfectly acceptable biking weather.
They make studded bicycle tires for days like today. I've seen people in the interior BC cycling in much heavier snow cover and much lower temperatures. But then again, people outside of Toronto are not snowflakes. Every time a torontonian complains about the snow, I'm instantly reminded of this comedic gem:
I didn't say it's impossible - just not practical for most of the population. I'm a cyclist about 10 months a year - January and February I usually only manage to ride a few times a month. The other 10 months are basically every day. Snow cover is possible to overcome, but conditions like below exist for about a month in Toronto a year - the vast majority of cyclists don't consider this to be a comfortable ride. I know that maintenance needs to be improved - but still.
I didn't say it's impossible - just not practical for most of the population. I'm a cyclist about 10 months a year - January and February I usually only manage to ride a few times a month. The other 10 months are basically every day. Snow cover is possible to overcome, but conditions like below exist for about a month in Toronto a year - the vast majority of cyclists don't consider this to be a comfortable ride. I know that maintenance needs to be improved - but still.
I still swear by biking, but I think the argument that "biking is 100% possible 100% of the year!" is silly. For most people, it isn't. It doesn't mean that cycling infrastructure is useless though.
https://www.ibiketo.ca/taxonomy/term/8?page=17
I biked almost every day right up until the christmas break this year. I imagine that by early March I'll be back again - and a bit in between on clear days.
Yup, you've gotta have another winter biking wardrobe, and hopefully a place to clean up at the non-home end of any trip. Meanwhile, I have a good friend who hit a small patch of ice the other day that left some marks on him: winter cycling is more treacherous, no two ways around it. For me, it's the transit time of year!
