by Michelle Kearns, Planning Associate

As COVID lockdowns limit other pastimes, it has been clear that Ontarians want to get outside, evidenced by growing demand: Parks Canada saw significant attendance growth in 2020, Ontario Parks has seen a >100% increase in camping demand (and illegal re-selling of hard-to-get campsites), and conservation areas have introduced new pre-reservation systems to deal with capacity constraints. But for potential adventurers who prefer to take transit or cannot drive, options are severely limited and one of the main barriers is simply getting there.

Ontario boasts some truly beautiful landscapes, but most are difficult (or impossible) to access without a private vehicle. This has two major implications:

Inequitable access for Ontarians who are seeking more time in nature
Increased parking demand placing operational and enforcement pressure on parks administration, conservation authorities, and smaller municipalities

Barriers to Outdoors

Getting out into “nature” can mean many things – spending time in a local park or getting out of the city for a camping overnighter or day hike. There are barriers to these bigger adventures – buying expensive gear, learning the necessary skills, and getting to the trail. Outdoor recreation trends white, wealthy, and male. Vancouver’s North Shore Mountain Biking Association survey indicated that membership is 83% male and 55% have household incomes over $100k annually, and outdoors advertising frequently reflects an assumption of whiteness – encouraging greater access to outdoor recreation for diverse communities will require a keen and purposeful mitigation of existing barriers, such as options other than private vehicles.

Consequences of Too Many Cars

Overflow of popular sites due to increased demand in 2020-2021 has strained parking capacity. For parks departments, conservation areas and small municipalities dealing with record visitors, parking demand is a growing headache and administrative (and safety) burden. Even drivers without vehicles can use a car share or rent a car, but the same parking issues apply.

For Ontario-based rock climbers and hikers, community Facebook groups shifted from sharing tips about great local spots to strategies on finding a parking space (just get there before dawn!), new parking restrictions, and places to avoid getting ticketed.

Accessing Ontario’s Star Provincial Natural Experiences

Sunset on Lake Opeongo, Algonquin Provincial Park

For many outdoorspeople, an overnight in one of Ontario’s premier camping areas is the highlight of summer – but these trips require a bit more planning if you don’t have access to a car.

A camping trip in southern Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario’s oldest and one of the largest, is a classic “Canadian experience”. But getting to the park without a vehicle is a logistical challenge. Weeklong Algonquin backcountry canoe trips require convincing someone to drop you off, paying for an expensive Uber or private shuttle from neighbouring Huntsville, or renting a vehicle (and paying the fees while it sits in the parking lot). There’s no direct scheduled transit access to the park: see Figure 1 for Sean Marshall’s map of intercity transit lines as of July 2021.

Figure 1: Snapshot from Sean Marshall’s interactive intercity transit map

However, in 2010, Parkbus launched routes between Toronto and Algonquin Provincial Park for popular summer dates ($127 return in 2021). Parkbus has since expanded to cover other popular park destinations across southern Ontario. They’re funded through a variety of government grants and corporate sponsors.

Parkbus’s growth reflects demand for better access to exceptional outdoors experiences, such as backcountry camping deep in nature, in our province—something for scheduled transit providers to consider.

Last Mile Interruptions and Pandemic Restrictions

The “last mile” remains a barrier to many natural sites near cities—you can get close by transit, perhaps to the nearest local municipality, but not quite all the way to your destination.

Milton, about 60km from Toronto, offers nearby Conservation Halton parks. And while Milton is accessible from Toronto by GO Transit rail or bus, you cannot take a Milton transit bus to Conservation Halton’s sites (see Figure 2 for the disconnect between Milton transit routes and conservation/hiking areas). A quick search on Uber shows a non-surge fee of $20 one-way between Milton GO and Rattlesnake Point (8km); adults are charged $9.50 each for admission with no discount for not using the parking lot.

Figure 2: Transit routes (in blue) with hiking areas marked in red. Source: www.transit.land/map#10.88/43.5172/-79.8104

Some transit agencies, like GO Transit, recognize the value in their transit service connecting people to outdoor recreation. Niagara Parks’ WEGO connection transports riders from the Niagara GO train station to Niagara Falls, the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Niagara Glen hiking areas. WEGO passes are offered as a package with your GO Train ticket from Toronto’s Union Station.

These are great steps forward, however many (most) sites remain inaccessible without a private car. Some other shuttle access programs have taken a hit from COVID-related limitations: the Ottawa area’s NCC provides a shuttle to Gatineau Park in the fall. However, when COVID restrictions pushed parks operators to limit attendance, Gatineau Park shuttle access was removed, while continuing to allow private vehicle parking.

As conversations on equity and inclusion in the outdoors continue to grow in the mainstream, I urge reflection on what access to precious outdoor spaces means, and how greater non-personal-auto options for access can play a role in building equity in the outdoors.