Many people seem to be intimidated by the mere thought of crossing the Peace Bridge on a bicycle. There's no reason to be scared. It's good exercise, exposes you to nature, and combats car congestion. Cross the Peace Bridge on two wheels with confidence and without confusion.

It helps to have NEXUS regardless of the form of transportion you use to cross the border. This saves 15-30 minutes when you drive and an additional 10 minutes when you bike into Canada.

As many as 4,700,000 cars cross the Peace Bridge every year, but very few bicycles cross. I asked a few Border Patrol agents how many bicycles they see each day. The consensus was fewer than a dozen bicycles a day.

I don’t know why this trek isn’t more popular. The view of the lake, birds, and boats is spectacular for riders and pedestrians alike. I enjoy getting away from the pollution of the city. The air and aromas along the tree-lined Canadian waterfront are much purer than those you encounter on traffic-clogged city streets.

Route:

From Allentown, come down Porter. Turn right on Busti at Burger King towards the water. Pass under the bridge on the South side. Pedal through the parking lot with the Custom Officer's cars. Walk your bike through the counterclockwise turnstile. Pedal across the bridge. There is currently construction I the Canadian side. Follow the detour and walk through a tunnel. Have your Passport/Enhanced DL/NEXUS ready for the Border Patrol agents to inspect. Make a right onto a truck road and get on the sidewalk immediately. Take the Queen street loop. Stay on Queen Street and continue to the Fort Erie Waterfront Bicycle Path, which connects to the Friendship Trail. This long, straight, flat path goes all the way up to Point Abino and beyond. Ridgeway offers great places to stop for a bite to eat!

Checklist:

-Passport. Apply Online. Or Enhanced License. Apply at the DMV. Or NEXUS. Apply Online.

-Bicycle

-Helmet

-Wallet

-Spare tubes

-Water bottle

-U-lock

-Raincoat/sweatshirt/ski jacket

-Camera and batteries, or cell phone

-Bluetooth speaker/headphones

-Snacks