Winter Cycling in Edmonton
The City will make best efforts to plow and remove snow in bike lanes after the end of a snowfall. To view the schedule for bike lane snow removal, visit the Active Pathways Snow Clearing Map.
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The City will make best efforts to plow and remove snow in bike lanes after the end of a snowfall. To view the schedule for bike lane snow removal, visit the Active Pathways Snow Clearing Map.
If you bike in the dark in Edmonton, your bike must have:
Recommended: Consider adding a light to the back of your bike. Extra LED lights can also be mounted to your helmet or handlebars. Add reflectors such as vests, straps, tape or plastic pieces to your bicycle or clothing.
Generally, the protected bike routes are cleared with the same priority as arterial roads for cars.
Bike lanes are often cleared sooner than some roads because there are fewer bike lanes to clear. There is over 2,100 km of major collector roads and only 7.8 km of downtown bike lanes.
Different staff and equipment are used to clear protected bike lanes so clearing them does not slow down road clearing efforts.
Protected bike lanes are part of the city's overall winter maintenance program.
Snow from the protected bike lanes will be cleared at the same priority as other major roads.
If the bike lane is at least 3 metres wide you can expect to see a street sweeper, a truck with a front mount blade or a broom to plow to bare pavement. The largest piece of equipment that fits in the bike lanes is a snow blower mounted on a piece of heavy equipment that can blow all the snow into trucks to be hauled away. Wherever the bike lanes are reduced to less than 3 metres, smaller equipment, such as skid steer loaders or tractors will be used. You may also see a truck with a liquid tank that can apply anti-icing material.
When riding after dark, bikes must have a front headlight, a red tail light and a red rear reflector.
Bicycle Equipment – Part 6 Division 5 Section 113
Reflective vests and other light coloured clothes with reflective tape are recommended for extra visibility.
If conditions deteriorate, hop on a bus or LRT. All City buses have bike racks and bikes are allowed on the LRT during off-peak hours.
If you have concerns about snow and ice management, please contact 311.
Telephone | In Edmonton: 311 Outside Edmonton: 780-442-5311 |
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TTY | 780-944-5555 |
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