Moving to Toronto

[Thomas]

Hello all,
I am gonna be moving to Toronto on july, From the Caribbean. It is going to be my first time and as I have heard the public transportation is pretty developed and quite good, though I wonder if it is possible for me to get a scooter or motorcycle and if that will benefit me at all in terms of time spent on the road;
where I am from there are no buses, cars and scooters are very accessible... so It is going to be quite a change for me

Thanks

T

 

[sjc]

We get winter for a good part of the year, so if you aren't planning to have a car, I would suggest trying to live somewhere near a subway station. You may also want to consider zipcar or autoshare for times when you would like to use a car.

 

[nfitz]

I hate to think how much the insurance would be for a scooter or motorcycle for someone with no Canadian insurance history. Though perhaps a foreign insurance history is acceptable.

Can't say I see a lot of bikes or scooters at this time of year.

 

[erikyow]

My neighbours bought a scooter and I know one of them was trying to get his licensing done ASAP since he knew he wasn't going to be out on it during the winter. That's not to say it's impossible to ride a scooter in the winter, but, particularly with the cold one we're having this year, I have to imagine it's a fairly unpleasant experience. I imagine your best bet would be to plan on relying on transit. Make sure you live in reasonable distance to a subway station. If not walking distance, than along an arterial with frequent service. Maybe once you arrive you can determine whether or not a scooter will be a good fit for you, both economically and in terms of the weather/usage.

Good luck with your move. As a recent transplant to Toronto and an immigrant to Canada myself, there is a learning curve to how things work, but once you get used to it, Toronto's a fine place to live.

 

[jaycola]

Good luck moving to the city.
Get the scooter. Insurance is cheap. They are good on gas and if you are a short distance from the subway useful, even in the winter.
It can be better to hop on for a 3 minute ride rather than wait for the bus. If the roads are dry that is. You can find parking for it anywhere too.
They have electric ones for short trips too.

 

[Thomas]

thank you for the reply, Particularly I am not considering the car option as people say it can be expensive and it does not save me any time, it actually makes you stay longer in traffic... what is the Zipcar?

 

[Thomas]

haha! I guess you are right... Very cold to even be outside

I could deff contact some insurance companies and check up on prices

cheers

 

[Thomas]

Pretty awesome, thanks for the reply...

I am sure the weather will be a big change for me as well as the transportation issue, given that where I come from we don't actually make use of public transportation... so, that is the fisrt thing I will have to work on

cheers

T

 

[Thomas]

I do like this reply a bit better... lol

I am a bike lover, I wish I could bring my bike up.... I will try to contact insurance companies, this is an option I am deff considering

thanks

 

[nfitz]

I could deff contact some insurance companies and check up on prices

I looked into a bit. Seemed to range about $500 for someone with a 20-year history to a bit less than $1,000 for one without a history. So not that bad really. Scooter would likely be cheaper.

 

[Memph]

I find that the cold isn't too bad... unless it's windy. And if you're going to ride a scooter or bike, you're going to get a lot of wind in your face and if it's under -10C it will be painful for any exposed skin. It's mostly really bad in January and February, although the windchill can be unpleasant in December and March. It's interesting seeing some of the hardcore cyclists in Toronto in the winter, a lot of them look like they're going to rob a bank with ski masks, bandanas and goggles.

I can't say that I have much experience driving in Toronto since I drive to a suburban GO train station, take the train to downtown Toronto and then walk to my office. I do see traffic backed up across multiple intersections when I walk though, so I'll believe the nightmare stories people tell.

 

[Thomas]

It sounds great, However People still point out that train and public transport could save me time, from home to school or to wherever I needa go... what do you think about that?

 

[Thomas]

I have heard quite a few stories, and some of them do not sound fun at all, the good thing is that I am going to be there during the months when it is not as cold... for winter I will fily back to the Caymans...

 

[RC8]

It's horribly cold 6 months a year. Good luck avoiding those.

What's bringing you to Toronto? Are you attending any school/university here?

 

[Thomas]

I am going to be attending the newly opened school <London school of business>

It's horribly cold 6 months a year. Good luck avoiding those.

What's bringing you to Toronto? Are you attending any school/university here?