@capitalbikeca
@capitalbikeca
@capitalbikeca
The cycling network includes many types of infrastructure, such as protected bicycle lanes, shared roadway routes, and multi-use pathways. For more information on new infrastructure click here for Victoria, here for Saanich.
Levels of Separation for Bikes on Roads in the CRD
Separated On-Street:
- Protected Bike Lanes are separated from roads and sidewalks by parked cars, bollards, or a physical barrier. The City of Victoria has protected cycle tracks to connect the downtown network, the first was built on Pandora Avenue in 2017.
- Buffered bicycle lanes provide additional shy distance between the bicycle lanes and the travel lane to provide a more comfortable riding environment.
Bicycle Lanes/Shoulders:
- Bicycle lanes are separated from motor vehicle lanes and indicated with a bicycle stencil and a diamond, and are marked with dedicated signs.
- Shoulder bikeways accommodate cycling on streets without a curb and gutter, where a fog line is used to delineate a shoulder.
Shared Roadways:
- Marked wide curb lanes provide direct routes along the outer lane of a roadway. Signs remind cyclists and drivers to ‘share the road.’
- Neighbourhood bikeways are routes on local urban streets indicated by signs and stencils.
- Traffic calming treatments improve the cycling environment.
- Shared lanes provide key connections between more formal bikeways and key destinations. They are designated by “Bike Route” signs.
Other Infrastructure:
- Bicycle Traffic Signals to help protect cyclists in the bike lanes across intersections. In Victoria, these lights discourage right lane turns for vehicles while bikes have a green light.
- Button controlled intersections allow safe crossing for bikes and pedestrians where light sensors aren’t triggered by feet or small wheels. Some beg buttons even have extended arms for cyclist convenience!
- Green conflict zone markings on pavement: These are areas where pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists need to be aware of one another
- Bike Boxes are designated areas at the heads of traffic lanes in intersections that provide bicyclists with a safe and visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during the red signal phase. Here is a video on how to use a bike box while turning into an intersection.
- Cross Bikes/ Elephant’s Feet indicate that it is safe for cyclists to cycle through an intersection, rather than dismount and walking through an intersection with solid lines instead of dotted
- Traffic Light Sensors in pavement are triggered when cyclists line their bikes on the lines indicated with the markings.
Community Bike Maps:
PIC = Primary Inter-Community Bicycle Network
