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Maps Updated!
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Bike train rolls back into town Second season of transporting cyclists and bicycles Toronto-to-Niagara BY DAN DAKIN REVIEW STAFF WRITER
What started as a pilot project with modest funding and goals has developed into a popular tourist travel option. The Toronto-Niagara Bike Train kicked off its second year Friday when the first VIA Rail Canada train outfitted with a bike-carrying baggage car pulled into the Niagara Falls train station at noon. The Bike Train Initiative was started by Toronto native Justin Lafontaine in early 2007. After its first successful year, it's back with largely expanded service for 2008. "At this time last year, I had no idea what the outcome would be. I didn't really know how it would all turn out. But we filled trains leaving Toronto and coming to Niagara and that was the goal," Lafontaine said. The Bike Train is a co-operative effort funded by a number of private and public partners, including the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and various tourism and business organizations in Niagara and Toronto. In its pilot year, the Bike Train ran 10 return trips from Toronto to Niagara Falls and back with 286 riders over four weekends through the summer. The program proved to be an economic boost to the Niagara tourism industry. A questionaire during the pilot year showed 72 per cent of riders stayed overnight in Niagara. For 2008, the service has been widely expanded with 27 return trips scheduled over eight weekends through to Sept. 29. The trains all leave Toronto at 10 a. m. and arrive in Niagara Falls at noon. The return trip leaves Niagara Falls at 2:15 p. m. or 5 p. m., depending on the day of the week. The Bike Train generally operates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with some Wednesday, Thursday and Monday trips. Lafontaine hopes to see more than 500 riders take advantage of the Bike Train this year. "That's our modest goal, but we're hoping for more than that," he said. In addition to this weekend, the service is being offered on the weekends of July 5-6, 19-20, Aug. 9-10, 23- 24, Sept. 13-14, 20-21 and 27-29. The cost of the Bike Train is $59 for a return trip or $35 for a one-way ticket. Children 11 and under are free with each paid adult, though there is a $5 bike charge. The bikes themselves are stored inside a baggage car outfitted with racks that can accommodate up to 56 bicycles. Riders travel in the passenger cars that are running as part of the normal Toronto-to-Niagara Falls VIA Rail route. New this year is a St. Catharines stop on selected Fridays, to allow a limited number of riders to exit the train there. "We had lots of support from the City of St. Catharines and response from riders who wanted to get off in St. Catharines so they don't necessarily have to do the whole (140-kilometre Greater Niagara Circle Route)," Lafontaine said. The program's funding has been expanded in part by the backing of the environment ministry, which sees the project as a green travel alternative. "It's a fantastic program," Environment Minister John Gerretsen said. "I encourage everyone to use sustainable transportation like biking and trains as much as possible. It's good for climate change and reduces your carbon footprint." Lafontaine and his partners are trying to market the trips as multi-day green getaways. "This is a good opportunity for people to leave their cars at home. It gives people a fun, convenient way to travel greener," he said. "We want to make sure people know Niagara can be more than a one-day trip. You can stay in Niagara and cycle for four or five days on a Europeanstyle tour." Ultimately, the goal is to make cycle-tourism popular enough to make travelling with a bike on VIA trains a normal routine. For now, eight summer weekends will have to be enough. For more information on the program, visit www.biketrain.ca.
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