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Bike Routes - How To and What's New

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Learn how to travel with new and existing bike routes on your bike, in your car, and on foot.

Downtown Bike Routes
Learn everything you need to know to comfortably ride, walk and drive the Downtown Bike Network.
Southside Bike Routes
Learn how to navigate 83 Avenue and 106 Street/76 Avenue bike routes on a bike or in a vehicle.
West Central Bike Routes
Learn how to navigate 102 Avenue and 127 Street bike routes on a bike or in a vehicle.

What You'll See Around Edmonton

Bike Lanes and Paths

Contraflow Lanes

Contraflow lane how to photo

These lanes are installed on some one way streets to give bikes a dedicated lane to ride against the flow of traffic.

When you bike with traffic:
  • Share the lane with cars
When you bike against traffic:
  • Travel in the contraflow bike lane. A single or double solid yellow line on the road separates the bikes in the contraflow bike lane from the cars.
Painted Bike Lanes

Dedicated bike lanes photo
Painted bike lanes reserve space on the road exclusively for bikes

In Your Car:
  • When you are driving beside a painted bike lane, you need to pay special attention when turning right at an intersection or accessway such as an entrance into a parking lot or driveway
  • Wait for the solid line to become dashed, shoulder check to look for a cyclist and then, when safe, enter the lane
On Your Bike or In Your Car:
  • Bike lanes are dashed before an intersection to indicate to cyclists where a left turn bay starts 
Protected Bike Lanes

Bike Network - Protected Bike lanes

Protected bike lanes are on-street bike facilities protected from moving and parked cars by a physical barrier. These lanes make driving and cycling more comfortable by creating a dedicated space on the road for people to bike. Protected bike lanes may allow for travel in one or both directions.

On Your Bike:
  • Watch for signs and paint symbols indicating the direction of travel
In Your Car:
  • Look both directions and yield to bikes when crossing
In Your Car and on Your Bike:
  • Travel slow along the Downtown Bike Network so you have time to see and respond to all the new features
Shared-Use Lanes

Shared use lane how to photo

Shared-use lanes guide cyclists and remind drivers to expect cyclists in the same travel lane.

On your bike and in your car:
  • Give each other space to maneuver - 1 meter is best.
On your bike:
  • The road marking guides where best to travel on your bike.

Sharrows Bike Video

Video: Dial S for Sharrow

Learn how to ride and drive on Edmonton’s shared-use lanes.

 

Road Markings and Street Signs

Bike Sign Single File Bike Sign Share the Road Sharrow

Shared-Use Paths

Bike Network - Shared-Use Paths

Shared-use paths are for many activities. You can bike, walk, run and more. Some sidewalks may be designated as Shared-Use Paths. Watch for signs.

On Your Bike:
  • Use the path to travel in both directions
  • Ring your bell to pass
  • Slow down and pass on the left
  • Yield to slower users
On Your Feet:
  • Keep to the right
  • Be aware that others may choose to pass you on your left
In Your Car:
  • Check both directions and shoulder check for bikes when crossing a shared-use path
Shared-Use Sidewalks
  • Cyclists are allowed to ride on sidewalks that are designated as a shared-use sidewalk.
  • Shared-use sidewalks are typically 2.5 m or wider and are marked with signs that indicate that they are shared by cyclists and pedestrians.
  • Bicycles with wheels less than 50 cm in diameter, such as children's bicycles, are permitted on any sidewalk.
On your bike:
  • Yield to pedestrians on shared-use sidewalks and ring your bell before passing.

A complete list of shared-use sidewalks is available under Bicycle Highways on page 13 of the Traffic Listing Document.

Cycling on Sidewalks Factsheet

Crosswalks and Intersections

Bicycle Signals

Bicycle Signals illustration

Bicycle Signals will be located throughout the Downtown Bike Network. Refer to these signals when crossing intersections. Signal timings may be adjusted as the Downtown Bike Network evolves.

In your car and on your bike:
  • Watch for signs indicating signal phase changes
Bike Triggered Crossing - Signal with Sensors

Bike Network - Bike Triggered Crossing

Bike-triggered crossings help cyclists to cross at intersections.

​On Your Bike:
  • Watch for the “Entering Bike Detection Zone” sign
  • Once you pass this sign, stop and wait; you will be detected by the sensors
  • Cross when the pedestrian light turns white
In Your Car:
  • Be aware of bikes crossing the intersection
Bike Box

Bike Network - Bike Box

Green Bike Boxes painted in a driving lane allow cyclists to do two things:

  • Pull in front of waiting traffic at a signalized intersection, making cyclists more visible and giving them a head start when turning or going straight
  • Make safe turns by using it as a Bike Turn Box

If the Light is Red

On Your Bike:
  • Enter the Bike Box and position yourself in your direction of travel
  • When the light turns green, proceed as normal
In Your Car:
  • Stop behind the white line
  • When the light turns green, proceed as normal

If the Light Is Green

On Your Bike:
  • To turn left: Yield to cars, then move into the Bike Box when safe to do so
  • To go straight or turn right: Proceed as normal
In Your Car:
  • Proceed as normal

Videos

Bike Box Video: Turning Left on a Red

Bike Box Video: Turning Right on a Red

Bike Box Video: Turning Left on a Green

Bike Turn Boxes

Bike Network - Bike Turn Box

Green Bike Turn Boxes painted at intersections provide cyclists with a safe way to turn left or right. These boxes can be found in the bike lane or in a driving lane.

On Your Bike:
  • Move into the green box found either in a bike lane or driving lane
  • Position yourself in your new direction of travel and wait at the red light
  • When the light turns green, proceed through the intersection
In Your Car:
  • Do not stop in a green Bike Box
  • When the light is red, stop at the painted white line behind the Bike Box
In Your Car and on Your Bike:
  • When stopped at an intersection, do not stop on the "X"

Videos

Note: Crossing two lanes of traffic to make a left or right turn from a protected bike lane is not permitted.

Bike Turn Box Video - Turning Left

Bike Turn Box Video - Turning Right

Green Stripes at Intersections

Bike Network - Green Stripes at Intersections

Striped green paint indicates that a bike lane is crossing an intersection or accessway such as an alleyway or entrance into a parking lot.

On Your Bike:
  • Look both directions when crossing
In Your Car:
  • Look both directions when crossing
  • Yield to cyclists in the bike lanes and pedestrians on the sidewalk
  • Do not block the bike lane
  • Watch out for the new signs indicating changes to turning rules
Raised Crossing at Bus Stop

Bike Network - Raised Crossing at Bus Stops

A Raised Crossing brings the level of the roadway to that of the adjacent bus stop. Transit users will be getting on and off the bus at this location.

On Your Bike:
  • Slow down and yield to pedestrians
On Your Feet:
  • Be aware and look both ways before crossing
  • Do not wait/stand in the crossing
White Squares at Crosswalks - Shared Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossings

White Squares at Crosswalks - Shared Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossings

When a Shared-Use Path crosses an intersection, the crosswalk will be lined with White Squares. These squares identify shared bicycle and pedestrian crossings and may be controlled by a pedestrian walk light and traffic signal.

On Your Bike:
  • There is no need to dismount your bike to cross
  • At a crosswalk with a pedestrian light: cross when the walk light is on
  • At a crosswalk without a pedestrian light: yield to cars and pedestrians before entering the roadway and cross when it’s safe to do so
In Your Car:
  • Be aware that people on bikes may be riding across the intersection

Related Links

Cycling Education Video Gallery

Learn more about how to use our bike routes.

Getting Around Sustainably

Bike, walk, take transit or rideshare.

For More Information

311 Contact Centre

Online Contact 311 Online
Telephone

In Edmonton: 311
Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311
TTY 780-944-5555
Email 311@edmonton.ca

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