Bike Share Toronto and CAA South Central Ontario bring back Free Ride Wednesdays for the month of July

News Release
June 29, 2021

Today, Mayor John Tory was joined by Scott Collier Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) President, and Rhonda English, Chief Marketing Officer, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) to announce the return of Free Ride Wednesdays during the month of July.

Thanks to the Bike Share Toronto / CAA SCO partnership, Bike Share Toronto riders will ride for free every Wednesday in July. Riders can take out a bike for up to 30 minutes, return the bike to any station, and take out another bike for an additional free 30-minute ride for a 24-hour period.

In addition to providing free rides in July, Bike Share Toronto staff coordinated with the City’s ActiveTO program to ensure people can get outside while still being physically distanced by activating “Valet Stations” around popular ActiveTO routes. The stations are staffed with Community Ambassadors who have extra bikes and docking points to ensure hassle-free riding.

How to take advantage of Free Ride Wednesdays:

  • Download the PBSC app or visit the Bike Share Toronto webpage find a station near you.
  • Go to any of the 625 bike share stations between 12:01 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. on one of the four Wednesdays in July.
  • Select “Buy a pass” on the kiosk touch screen and select “$0 One-Day”, then insert your credit card and follow the on-screen instructions. You can also obtain your pass on the PBSC app by selecting “Purchase Access Pass” on the app. There is a refundable $20 deposit per bike.
  • After completing the transaction, type in the code you received into the keypad on the left side of the docking point of the bike of your choice. If using the PBSC app, you may also unlock a bike with the quick and easy QR code release feature.
  • Explore Toronto for up to 30 minutes. Fees will apply if ride is over the allotted 30 minutes.
  • Return your bike to any station.
  • Take out another bike for a free 30-minute ride as many times as you like for a 24-hour period while your pass is active.

CAA Member Exclusives:

  • Available all year, CAA Members receive four free rides when they purchase 10 rides
  • CAA On the Move Members (Membership for those who don’t need roadside assistance) receive exclusive access to Bike Share Toronto offers such as savings on memberships and passes.

Learn more about Free Ride Wednesdays.

Quick Facts:

Bike Share Toronto

  • Bike Share Toronto is now in 20 Wards covering 200 square kilometres of the city.
  • Riders can buy a 24-hour day pass for $7, and use it all day without overage charges, (provided it is docked every 30 minutes), or purchase the single fare for 3.25 plus tax (30-minute use).
  • Short term passes can be purchased on a smartphone using PBSC the official app of Bike Share Toronto.
  • Purchase annual memberships for $99 ($8.25/month) at https://bikesharetoronto.com/.
  • 51,780 trips taken on June 5 and 6, 2021 – a new record with the highest number of rides in a single weekend.
  • 27,345 rides – highest ridership day (of all time) June 5, 2021.
  • More than 12.5 million trips have been taken on the Bike Share Toronto system since its inception in 2011.
  • Ridership has increased in the last 12 months, year over year from 2,460,907 rides to 3,290,696 rides. (May 31, 2019-2020, compared to May 31, 2020-2021)

Bike Share Toronto provides another safe option of travel around the city. Bike Share Toronto prioritizes health and safety and has ramped up its cleaning program during the COVID-19 pandemic. As bikes are regularly in use and exposed to the environment, Bike Share continues to strongly recommend that riders follow public health guidance when using the system. The best way to prevent infection is wash your hands and the bike before and after use.

Quotes:

“Free Ride Wednesdays have become a great way for residents to enjoy cycling in the city while being able to use the Bike Share program. I want to thank CAA for helping us make this possible this year and for giving cyclists a reason to explore our city and our bike paths and trails. I encourage residents to get outside this July, use Bike Share and enjoy Free Ride Wednesdays!”

– Mayor John Tory

“CAA’s partnership with Bike Share Toronto allows us to give back to our members and communities in a meaningful way. By teaming up with Bike Share Toronto, we are continuing our longstanding history of encouraging cycling and advocating for the safety of all road users. This partnership will help people find new ways to explore the city while also staying close to home.”

– Rhonda English, Chief Marketing Officer, CAA South Central Ontario

“Bike sharing in Toronto has come a long way in a decade, thanks to the support of our customers. We are excited to be offering Torontonians the very popular Free Ride Wednesdays program again this year and are grateful to CAA for their sponsorship and their continued support of Bike Sharing. CAA South Central Ontario has a strong history of supporting cycling in communities, in addition to providing their customers with roadside assistance.”

– Scott Collier, Toronto Parking Authority President

Lawvin Hadisi
647-460-7507
Lawvin.Hadisi@toronto.ca
Office of the Mayor, City of Toronto

Rita Mezzanotte
416-271-0667
ritamezz@me.com

Nadia Matos
416-523-0663
nm12@caasco.ca
CAA South Central Ontario

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