Edmonton Bike Plan

The Edmonton Bike Plan and the Bike Plan Implementation Guide provide direction for how biking fits into our city and support the City's vision of a connected, accessible city.

Active Transportation Network Expansion Update

City Council approved $100 million to proceed with the active transportation network expansion as part of the 2023-2026 budget. Implementation will focus on the redeveloping areas of the city, with bike routes in developing areas continuing to be carried out primarily through developer-funded construction of new neighbourhoods and roadways.

Implementation will include not only protected bike lanes, but also other types of infrastructure, like shared pathways, where appropriate. More information on the expansion will be available in summer 2023.

Supporting Cycling Infrastructure and Programs

The Bike Plan and The Bike Plan Implementation Guide lay the foundation for a network that is accessible and predictable for people of all ages and abilities and where people can choose to bike for any reason and in any season.

The plans support active transportation and safe and direct routes for people commuting to work, running errands, accessing the river valley for recreational trips and improving neighbourhood networks to connect people to local destinations.

The Bike Plan and the implementation guide are based on knowledge gained over the past 10 years, including recent changes to Edmonton’s bike network and the rapid evolution of bike planning best practices. The plan was informed by extensive engagement with Edmontonians, who shared their rich experiences, their ideas and their vision for the future.

The Bike Plan (2020) (20.4 MB) replaces the 2009 Bicycle Transportation Plan and provides strategic direction for how the City plans, designs, implements, operates and maintains bike infrastructure and programs.

The Bike Plan Implementation Guide 2021-2026 builds on the strategic direction provided in The Bike Plan. The guide provides more detail on implementation resources and timelines, project and program prioritization, the process to plan and build expansions to the bike network, considerations for an all-seasons network, and monitoring and evaluation.

Aspiration and Values

Edmonton: Where people are invited to bike, for all reasons in all seasons.

Invitation acknowledges biking may not be the choice for everybody, and that’s fine! Inviting people to bike is about creating an environment where biking is both an enjoyable and practical option.

All reasons recognizes there are lots of reasons to travel by bike, and those reasons are different for each person. It recognizes that people make choices based on where they are biking to, when they are biking, who they are biking with, and their abilities and comfort levels.

All seasons acknowledges some people continue to ride their bike through the winter so the bike network needs to be designed to be used year-round.

Values

The values will help guide the development of the Bike Plan to ensure it reflects what’s important to us.

Equitable

Biking is a valid and practical option for people of all ages, abilities, backgrounds and walks of life.

Fun and Functional

Biking creates happier cities to live in. Edmonton puts the fun back in cycling and reignites the joy in adults that was found in childhood cycling.

Urban Spirit

Edmonton is a vibrant city and weaving cycling into our urban design allows people to thrive and enjoy the City. People bike because it is easy and it encourages people to experience and explore Edmonton.

Cultural Shift

Biking is accepted as a common way for people to move around Edmonton and people that walk, drive, roll and bike appreciate that biking is both fun and functional.

What We Heard - Phase 1: Aspiration and Values

Network Principles

Health and Comfort

Providing a bike network grounded in safety gives people a comfortable and secure way of getting around by bike. The network minimizes stress and anxiety about personal safety and security and other health and safety-related issues such as noise, vehicle pollution, headlight dazzle and spray from passing vehicles.

Connectivity

The cycling network provides access to places where people want to bike without gaps or missing links. The network provides a diverse range of route options and experiences for users and opportunities to link to other modes of transportation.

Directness

The cycling network prioritizes direct and straight routes and minimizes out-of-direction travel and unnecessary stops.

Network Density

Grid size (distance between parallel routes in a network) depends on demand—higher demand areas have higher density.

Attractiveness

The cycling network is composed of routes that are aesthetically attractive, interesting, or pass through sociable places.

Integration

The function, design and use of a bike route is carefully considered so that it provides added value from an economic, social and safety perspective. Bike routes fit into an area’s and/or street’s context and are integrated into the road network in a way that makes sense to people who walk, roll, bike, take transit or drive.

What Does All Ages and Abilities Mean?

During the development of the Bike Plan, input received from Edmontonians, stakeholders, City of Edmonton staff, and partner agencies highlighted the need to provide bicycle infrastructure that is comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. Designing for all ages and abilities requires an approach that considers both the safety and comfort of a broad range of potential users.

Elements of bike design for all ages and abilities includes:

Design so that everyone will enjoy biking
Design for interactions with other transportation modes
Design considering all users
Design for effective maintenance
Design intersections with bikes in mind

Sharing Space

Communities are experiencing an evolution in the types of people who use bike routes. Those using bicycles, inline skates, skateboards, and scooters are being joined by those using powered micromobility vehicles such as e-bikes, e-scooters, and power-assisted cargo bikes. Considering how people rolling and walking share space will ensure the safety and comfort of both groups.

What We Heard - Phase 2: Preferences + Principles

Program Areas

The physical bike network is supported by program areas that help make biking an easier, safer and more enjoyable option. The program areas of focus include:

Integration with transit
Bike Share and Shared Micromobility
Wayfinding
Lighting
Maintenance
Education
Encouragement
Laws & Policies
End-of-Trip Facilities

What We Heard - Phase 3: Priorities and Trade-offs (12 MB)

Implementation Guide

Details

The Bike Plan Implementation Guide provides more detail on:

Prioritization
Resources and Timelines
All-Seasons Network
Monitoring and Evaluation
Implementation Examples
Governance and Decision-Making Processes

Maps

Bike Plan District Connector Map

The future bike network map will guide the expansion of biking in Edmonton by identifying the general location of future bike routes in the city.

The future bike network is guided by the network principles and will continue to adapt and expand over time in response to community feedback, empirical evidence and changes to demographics or technology.

For More Information

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Wildfires

Active Transportation Network Expansion Update

Supporting Cycling Infrastructure and Programs

About the Bike Plan

Aspiration and Values

Edmonton: Where people are invited to bike, for all reasons in all seasons.

Values

Equitable

Fun and Functional

Urban Spirit

Cultural Shift

Network Principles

Health and Comfort

Connectivity

Directness

Network Density

Attractiveness

Integration

What Does All Ages and Abilities Mean?

Elements of bike design for all ages and abilities includes:

Sharing Space

Program Areas

Implementation Guide

Details

Maps

For More Information

311 Contact Centre

Edmonton Bike Plan

Active Transportation Network Expansion Update

Supporting Cycling Infrastructure and Programs

Aspiration and Values

Edmonton: Where people are invited to bike, for all reasons in all seasons.

Values

Equitable

Fun and Functional

Urban Spirit

Cultural Shift

Network Principles

Health and Comfort

Connectivity

Directness

Network Density

Attractiveness

Integration

What Does All Ages and Abilities Mean?

Elements of bike design for all ages and abilities includes:

Sharing Space

Program Areas

Implementation Guide

Details

Maps

Related Links

Cycling in Edmonton

The City Plan

Vision Zero

For More Information

311 Contact Centre