Addressing Food Courier Train Crowding Concerns

Recently, there have been photos circulating on social media about food courier bikes crowding GO trains along the Kitchener GO line, including on dedicated bike cars used on the Niagara trains during the summer months. This has unfortunately been the latest round of criticism towards food couriers with last year seeing accusations of them hogging Bike Share Toronto’s e-bikes prior to the pricing changes and Councillor Dianne Saxe’s motion calling for e-bikes and e-scooters used by couriers to have “unique identifiers”. These incidents of blaming food couriers are unacceptable and must be called out. Instead, we road safety advocates need to work with the couriers and groups like Gig Workers United to come up with some solutions to remedy the situation. Especially since we should be encouraging deliveries by bike over those done by motor vehicles in order to pursue meaningful climate action.

A crowded GO train bike car on February 2, 2024 (via Janice Jim)

Listening to a Legend

Cycle Toronto may be Toronto’s primary cycling advocacy organization today, but it is relatively recent in the larger advocacy story. Bike Pirates started two years prior in 2006, while Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists – the folks behind the ghost rides for fallen cyclists – and the Community Bicycle Network have existed since the 1990’s. In order to better understand the historic side of cycling advocacy, I interviewed one of Toronto’s legendary advocates, Wayne Scott. From the “food as fuel” campaign to demanding justice for fallen cyclist Darcy Allan Sheppard, Scott’s 35 years of advocacy have been felt throughout Toronto’s cycling community.

A 1998 CBC clip from the show "Big Time with Daniel Richler"

featuring Scott, Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists & other advocates