Every week, Etobicokeâs Frank Theriault rides 280 kilometres on his bike.It takes Jennifer Bougouneau Grant an hour to get from her home in Whitby to her bank in Scarborough. Josh Carr lives in Etobicoke, and is looking forward to buying a car when it makes financial sense.According to the Transportation Tomorrow Survey, released earlier this year based on 2016 data, 28 per cent of households in Toronto do not have a vehicle. In downtown wards, as many as 55 per cent of households donât own a vehicle.But in the âburbs of Toronto and the surrounding area, car ownership isnât necessarily the mainstay itâs often assumed to be. Near Lawrence Ave. and Keele St. or Hwy. 401 and Markham Rd., the percentage of households without cars checks in at 32 and 25 per cent, respectively.And according to Liz Sutherland, interim director of advocacy and government relations at Cycle Toronto, the suburban areas of Toronto actually have an advantage over downtown in incorporating pedestrian and cyclist-friendly infrastructure, something sheâd like to see more of.âItâs actually not that difficult in the suburbs,â Sutherland said. âMany of the arterial (roads) have space in the boulevard, or they have very wide traffic lanes. So you can actually create separated, often sidewalk level, cycling infrastructure without taking away any length of traffic or parking or sidewalk space.âThe Star spoke to suburbanites to find out how they make a car-free lifestyle work for them.âItâs gonna be bike 99 per cent of the timeâFrank Theriault got rid of his car in 1996 and hasnât looked back. The 61-year-old from Etobicoke primarily uses a bike to get around the city. He racks up 280 kilometres a week on two wheels. If his bike is out of commission or heâs travelling with his partner, who doesnât bike, he will rely on transit.âAnything thatâs beyond a walking distance, itâs gonna b ...
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