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Everyone should feel safe biking, walking, and rolling around Edmonton, and we can each take action to help keep each other safe.

Edmonton is a vibrant, active city, with lots of different ways for everyone to get where they’re going. Active transportation improves access, reduces vehicle trips and traffic congestion, and supports healthy minds and bodies. This makes Edmonton better for everyone, no matter how they move.

Everyone should feel safe biking, walking, and rolling around Edmonton, and we can each take action to help keep each other safe.

Find educational resources that highlight ways to keep each other safe on the street, starting with the booklet How We Roll Around Edmonton Together (16MB).

Pass Safe, Leave Space: Edmonton’s Safe Passing Distance Bylaw

Edmonton’s Safe Passing Distance Bylaw provides clear guidance for how much room people driving need to leave to safely pass people biking on the street. Passing at a safe distance helps make sure everyone gets to their destination incident-free.

Four things to keep in mind when passing people cycling and scooting on the street:

Pass safe, leave space; leave 1 metre between you and the person biking where the speed limit is 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres where the speed limit is greater than 60 km/h
You may cross the solid yellow line, when safe, to give the required space
People biking or scooting on the street may be riding in the middle of the lane to avoid obstacles and debris close to the curb
Wait until it’s safe to pass, it won’t add much time to your trip

Drive Safe, Pass with Care graphic

View larger image

Safe Streets Start with You

Our streets are not forgiving of the vulnerability of people travelling outside of vehicles. Follow these simple points to keep everyone safe on our roads, and keep the good times rolling.

Drive with Care

Pass Safe! Leave Space

Leave 1 metre between you and the person biking where the speed limit is 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres where the speed limit is greater than 60 km/h
You may cross the solid yellow line, when safe, to give the required space

Be Aware

Slow down and look both ways for people biking, walking, and using mobility aids at intersections, especially when turning; this is where most crashes occur
Look for “no right on red light signs”; they are there to keep everyone safe at intersections with lots of active transportation.
Did you know, most intersections along bike lanes have ‘no right on red light’ signs

Be Kind

Keep in mind that while you’re in a vehicle, people biking and walking around you are not protected

Set yourself up for success!

Put your phone and other distractions away so you can focus on the road while driving, and pull over when needed
Be aware of others walking, cycling, and rolling around you so you can stop for people crossing the street, even at an unmarked crossing

Bike with Clarity

Be Seen

Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid obstacles and to help people driving see you
Stay visible with a white headlight in the front, and a red light and reflector in the back

Be Aware

Unfortunately, people who drive may not always see you
Watch for drivers:
- Turning right
- Entering or exiting driveways, alleys, or other accesses
- Opening their doors

Be Predictable

Shoulder check and show your intentions by using hand signals when turning left or right
Ride in a straight line, rather than weaving in and out of parked vehicles

Be Visible at Intersections

Be aware of where vehicles cannot see you in their mirrors
Take care, especially when vehicles are turning right
For increased visibility, move into the middle of the lane as you approach an intersection. People driving straight or turning right can stay behind you

What You'll See Around Edmonton

Bike Lanes and Paths

Contraflow Lanes

ContraFlow Lane

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 vehicles

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

A protected bike lane

Protected bike lanes are on-street bike lanes protected from moving and parked vehicles by a physical barrier. 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 and turning

Summer Streets

A seasonal program to support active modes of travel and provide more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors during the warm season.

A vehicle lane is converted for people to use for physical activity; similar to a shared pathway, they can be used to cycle, run, walk and more
Temporary flex posts are installed to separate mobility lanes from vehicle traffic so people can bike, scoot, roll and walk comfortably and safely in a separate lane
The speed limit on the adjacent roadway is reduced to 40 km/h where the lane is not separated by a median
Temporary ramps are set up at the access points allowing pedestrians, bikes, strollers, wheelchairs and other wheeled devices to move from the curb to the street pavement or vice versa

Shared Roadways

Shared use lane how to photo

People cycle and drive along the roadway. These routes are marked with blue or green bike route signs or painted markings on the roadway.

The Safe Passing Distance Bylaw provides clear guidance for how much room people driving need to leave to safely pass people biking on the street.

Watch Pass Safe, Leave Space

In your vehicle:

Pass safe, leave space; leave 1 metre between you and the person biking where the speed limit is 60 km/h or less, and 1.5 metres where the speed limit is greater than 60 km/h
You may cross the solid yellow line, when safe, to give the required space
People biking or scooting on the street may be riding in the middle of the lane to avoid obstacles and debris close to the curb
Wait until it’s safe to pass, it won’t add much time to your trip

On your bike:

The road marking guides where its best to travel on your bike
Ride far enough out from the curb to avoid obstacles and to help people driving see you
Ride in a straight line, rather than weaving in and out of parked vehicles

Road Markings and Street Signs

Bike Sign Single File Sharrow

Shared Pathways and Trails

A paved shared pathway

Shared pathways, which are paved, and trails, that are hard packed with gravel, wood chips or dirt, are for many activities. You can bike, walk, run and more.

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:

Be aware that others may choose to pass you on your left

In Your Car:

Check both directions and check for bikes when crossing a shared pathway

Shared-Use Sidewalks

Some sidewalks may be designated as Shared Pathways or Shared Use Sidewalks. Watch for signs. Shared-use sidewalks are typically 2.5 m or wider and are marked with signs that indicate that they are shared. Watch for signs.

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

On your bike:

Yield to pedestrians on shared-use sidewalks and ring your bell before passing
Bicycles with wheels less than 50 cm in diameter, such as children's bicycles, are permitted on any sidewalk

Cycling Infrastructure

Bicycle Signals

Bicycle Signals illustration

Bicycle signals are located throughout the city’s bike network. When present, refer to these signals when crossing intersections.

Bike Triggered Crossing - Signal with Sensors

Bike-triggered crossings help people cycling to cross at intersections.

On Your Bike:

Watch for a blue light and a "Bike Detected" sign
If you have been detected, the light will turn blue
Cross when the pedestrian signal turns to a “Walk” light

Bike Box

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

Pull in front of waiting traffic at a signalized intersection, making people cycling 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

Enter the Bike Box and position yourself in your direction of travel
When the light turns green, proceed as normal

Videos

Get Behind It - The Bike Box 3 Way Intersection

Get Behind It - The Bike Box 4 Way Intersection

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

Green Bike Turn Boxes painted at intersections provide people cycling 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
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

Green Stripes

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

Two Stage Crossings

A two-stage crossing

Two stage crossings allow people to pause between crossing each direction of traffic and narrow the street to calm and slow traffic and shorten crossing distance.

On your bike:

Check for drivers and yield before crossing one lane at a time.

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 getting on or off the bus

White Squares at Crosswalks - Shared Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossings

When a shared pathway crosses an intersection, the crosswalk may be lined with white squares. The Elephant feet markings indicate that you are in a shared space.

On Your Bike:

Yield the right-of-way to vehicles unless otherwise indicated by a traffic control device such as a sign or signal
Be aware of others
Enter the cross when it’s safe to do so
At a crosswalk with a pedestrian light, cross when the walk light is on

Navigate Bike Routes

Learn how to navigate along the existing bike routes on your bike, in your car, and on foot.

Driving Along Bike Routes - 4 Things to Know
Bike Turn Box - Turning Right
Bike Turn Box - Turning Left
Bike Box - Turning Left on a Green
Bike Box - Turning Right on a Red
Bike Box - Turning Left on a Red
Use a Bike Rack on ETS

Did You Know?

Bike Trips Have Doubled

A graphic showing a cyclist with a large red arrow pointing upwards to indicate an increase in cycling.
In the last ten years, bike trips in Edmonton have nearly doubled. Bike infrastructure improvements have been shown to increase bike ridership and encourage people living nearby to be more active.

Achieve Health Benefits

A graphic showing a cyclist with focus on her heart.
Biking promotes active and healthy living, and is one of the most affordable ways for people to add exercise to their daily routines. Biking to work or school can help people feel more awake, help them to mentally transition between locations, and provide them the opportunity to get outside in the fresh air.

More than Commuters

Grpahic showing a cyclist holding a bag of groceries.
For many trips it may be faster to travel by bike than by car or bus. This is often the case for short local trips in congested urban areas. Biking can also make the commute to work or school less stressful and more enjoyable.

Who Bikes in the Winter?

A graphic showing a cyclist with 5 more cyclists in the background.
Cycling in the winter can improve your mood, reduce stress and get you energized!

Maintained Year-Round

A graphic showing two cyclists with a calendar between them.
Protected bike routes are maintained year-round to ensure people feel safe biking in all seasons.

Frequently Asked Questions

In what situations should we be extra attentive to reduce the risk of a crash?

The most common causes of serious crashes between people biking and driving in Edmonton are:

While driving, people are turning across the path of people walking and cycling
Driving at unsafe speeds
Driving while distracted
Passing too closely

Why do people sometimes bike in the middle of the lane?

While you might expect people biking or scooting to stay close to the side of the road, they may ride in the middle of the lane to avoid car doors or other obstacles you might not see.

Why did the City define a Safe Passing Distance?

Research has shown that drivers give more space when passing cyclists in jurisdictions that have safe passing laws than in jurisdictions that do not.

Roughly 87% of crashes where someone riding a bike was killed or seriously injured occurred on a road without protected bike infrastructure
At mid-blocks, 30% of crashes where someone biking was killed or severely injured involved a vehicle driver hitting them from behind or while passing

Throughout the public engagement conducted to inform the Safe Mobility Strategy, people reported that close passing and aggressive driving are top safety concerns when they are cycling.

I often see people biking break the rules, they run through stop signs, and ride on the sidewalk. Why are you not focusing on this?

Whether we are driving, biking, walking, or using a mobility aid, we each have a role to play so we can move safely around each other. The booklet, How We Roll Around Edmonton Together , outlines what we can do when driving and biking.

What are the risks of riding bikes on sidewalks?

Cycling on sidewalks is only permitted for bikes with a 50 centimetre wheel diameter or less, such as kids’ bikes.

Here are a few risks of riding on the sidewalk:

Drivers are not expecting cyclists to be on the sidewalk, increasing chances of collisions when drivers are entering or exiting alleys and parking lots
Sidewalks are narrow and full of obstacles, which creates potential conflicts between people walking, biking, driving, wheeling, getting on and off buses, or emerging from building entrances

Factsheet - Cycling on Sidewalks

How can I find Edmonton’s network of bike routes?

Use the Discover YEG map to plan a route using Edmonton’s bike network. Edmonton’s Bike Plan aims to increase active transportation and safe and direct routes for people commuting to work, running errands, accessing the river valley for recreational trips and improved neighbourhood networks to connect people to local destinations.

How do I pass someone biking on the street at this required distance? There isn’t enough space.

All roads in Edmonton are designed based on local and national standards for safe movement of people. If there is not enough space to pass safely within the lane, drivers can legally cross a single yellow line in order to safely pass someone biking, scooting, or a slow-moving vehicle.

Be understanding. People biking or scooting on the street may be riding in the middle of the lane to avoid obstacles and debris close to the curb.

Wait until it’s safe to pass. It won’t add much time to your trip and, when we support active transportation like biking and walking, we reduce vehicles and traffic congestion on our streets and support physical activity. This makes Edmonton better for everyone.

How is the City enforcing the Safe Passing Bylaw?

Education, rather than enforcement, will be the priority as this bylaw comes into effect. An education campaign is being developed for spring 2022 to create clear expectations for all road users. Research has shown that drivers give more space when passing cyclists in jurisdictions with safe passing laws than in those without. There is a $250 fine outlined in the bylaw.

Why aren't bicycles required to have licensing and insurance?

Many jurisdictions across Canada and the United States have examined the idea of implementing a bicycle licensing and registration program in response to concerns about compliance with the law, public safety, and revenue generation.

The planning, implementation, and coordination of a bicycle registration/cyclist licensing program similar to a motor vehicle registry has been found to be costly and to have limited benefits in terms of improving cycling safety or revenue generation. A licensing program would also be cumbersome to keep current and must take into consideration how cyclists who cross municipal boundaries, as well as children, would be governed. Issues with enforcement would still exist with a licensing program and may divert attention from enforcing existing traffic laws.

Cyclist Insurance, Licensing and Registration Information

Contact Us

311 Contact Centre

Online	Contact 311 Online

If you are calling from outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311

Phone	311
TTY	711

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Side by Side

Pass Safe, Leave Space: Edmonton’s Safe Passing Distance Bylaw

Safe Streets Start with You

Drive with Care

Bike with Clarity

What You'll See Around Edmonton