Victoria Day Picnic and Ride down the Leslie Spit - Let's do that Again!

Cyclists from Wards 25, 22, 30, 31 and 32 cycled down to the Lake for the W30B Ride.

W30B Rides - Victoria Day Picnic and Ride down the Leslie Spit (photos - S. McNeil)

We had our Picnic at the Bird Blind at 'Cell 1' - and then took the Lake-side road around to where it reconnects with the Main Spur Road; then back towards the entrance to Tommy Thompson Park via the floating bridge.

A casual accounting: I figured the User Mode Split was greater than 80% Bikes, 20% walkers. The Park was FULL of people. Hundreds and hundreds of bikes. The road from the TTP Office to the main entrance at Unwin and Leslie was Congested with bike and walk traffic!

The new demographics in Toronto's country of origin mix was very much apparent. The cultural acceptance of bicycling if you're from India for example, was obvious. It was wonderful to see whole Families cycling in great long 'trains of bicycles' - everywhere!

The Intersection at Leslie and Unwin was BUSY. Thousands of cyclists, and hundreds of cars negotiating the intersection there. Car divers inched around the corner as cyclists arrived to the intersection from 4 different vectors (northbound out of the park, southbound along Leslie Street, out into the intersection from the east side via the Martin Goodman Trail southbound, and westbound out into the intersection from along the Martin Goodman Tail eastbound).

Due to the location of Tommy Thompson Park - coupled with the lack TTC service there, no Bike Share, and limited parking - the only good way to get to the place is by bicycle!


Several people on our ride talked about the lack of cycling infrastructure that could take riders out into the greenfield areas of the park - like to the places where the walking pathways go. Wider Trails - or Cyclist only Trails perhaps?

Best practice says - You gotta separate 'em. :)


We agreed to schedule more of these monthly Rides; on Saturdays or Sundays going forward.

Stay tuned, we'll post the next ride here, on the East Side Captain's List in email, at the Cycle Toronto Meetup page, and on @Ward30Bikes in Twitter.


Links: 

Cycle Toronto Meetup | Ward 30 Bikes Victoria Day Picnic and Ride down the Leslie Spit | http://www.meetup.com/CycleToronto/events/183746402/

@CycleToronto @Meetup #Ward30Bikes Victoria Day Picnic and Ride down the Leslie Spit: http://t.co/6FEBBgJQ3u #biketo @29bikes @Ward32Spokes
— Ward 30 Bikes (@Ward30Bikes) May 18, 2014

mh/jo