The amount of traffic on the roads, especially on weekends can deter many of us from heading out of town for recreation, and also from using the roads for activities such as bicycling.  For those folks who live in the Toronto corridor, and enjoy pedaling, an initiative by VIA Rail is taking the hassle out of leaving the city.  It is indicative of a trend hitting many major cities.

Folks are taking to two wheels as new biking lanes are encouraging leaving the car at home. Fewer parking worries, less hassle everywhere.  It lead to the creation of the award-winning Bike Train.

Originally developed by Toronto cyclist Justin Lafontaine and launched in partnership with VIA Rail between Toronto and Niagara in 2007, the Bike Train has proven to be a fun, economic and environmentally friendly way to enjoy a cycling getaway. Getting to the destination is made easy as passengers travel in comfort while their bicycles are safely secured in a baggage car with bike racks.

I speak from personal train experience when I tell you it is a true pleasure to whiz by traffic jams in total relaxed comfort, often chatting with other travelers who love to share stories and anecdotes. Road rage, traffic jams and the stinky hot air that one experiences on major highways in summer simply do not exist here.

 

This summer the Bike Train will connect Toronto with destinations across Ontario, providing cyclists of all abilities easy access to the Greenbelt, wine and culinary regions, northern lakes and forests, off-the-beaten-path towns and villages, world-renowned natural and historical sites, and thousands of kilometres of recreational trails and on road cycling routes.  It all boils down to bicyclists paradise accessed with no hassle.

 

Toronto-Niagara Greenbelt Express (adults $62 return, $31 one-way; children 11 and under free)

runs eight weekends from June to October with stops in Toronto, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines.

Ontario North Bike Train  (adults $153 return) a Toronto-North Bay pilot project in partnership with Ontario Northland Rail will go one weekend: August 7-10.  Pilot Bike Train routes to Eastern Ontario and Southwestern Ontario are also being developed for 2009. Visit www.biketrain.ca for schedules, tickets and updates.