Where to Cycle
The following names and definitions of bicycle facilities, and bike-related signs, markings, and symbols, are commonly used in many regions across the province, though variations exist.
Bicycle Facilities
Protected Bike Lane / Cycle-track
A dedicated bicycle facility often placed alongside a major street, and physically separated from motor vehicles and pedestrians by barriers like posts, planters, or curbs. A protected lane or cycle-track can be designed for one-way or two-way bike traffic, and is one of the safer facility types, with a lower risk of midblock crashes and fewer serious injuries compared to shared paths and roadways.
Bike path / trail
An off-street facility designated for cycling only, and typically set apart from motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic. A bike path or trail is one of the safer facility types; risks can sometimes include curvy paths with reduced sight lines, and obstacles such as bollards, curbs, barriers, and benches.
Multi-use path (MUP)
An off-road facility used for both cycling and walking, which can be unpaved or paved, and support one-way or two-way traffic. Natural surface mountain bike trails are often 'single track', or just wide enough to accommodate one user at a time. Some MUPs include curvy paths with reduced sight lines and unpaved or uneven surfaces, and features such as bollards, curbs, barriers, benches, and plants, and can thus present increased crash risks for cyclists, and risk of conflict with pedestrians.
Painted Bike Lane or Bicycle Shoulder
A bicycle travel lane marked by paint onto the roadway or highway, usually to the right of a motor vehicle travel lane. A painted lane or shoulder can be a relatively safe cycling option, except when located between parked and moving cars. Typically, the wider the lane, the greater the passing distance available for people cycling. Greater passing distances should be provided for vulnerable road users where traffic volumes are high, particularly in proximity to heavy vehicles. Higher speeds contribute to higher crash risk, and more serious injuries.
Neighbourhood Bikeway / Advisory Bicycle Lanes
A roadway used by different types of road users; shared use is indicated by signs and pavement markings. Bikeways are often found on streets with lower vehicle speeds and volumes, and can include features designed to reduce motor vehicle speeds and volumes, such as curb extensions, speed humps, traffic diverters, and cyclist-operated traffic signals. A neighbourhood bikeway is one of the safer facility types, with lower incidence of crashes and less serious injuries in crashes than on major roads.
Shared Lane
A traffic lane designated by signs and pavement markings to be shared by cyclists and motorists, either side by side (if wide enough) or single file. Shared lanes are often identified by signs and sharrow pavement markings, and present a higher crash risk than other facility types due to their association with high traffic volumes, high traffic speeds, and heavy vehicles. Shared lanes are associated with increased crash risk when located next to parked cars.
Major street with no provision for bikes
Bicycle facilities sometimes connect directly to major streets lacking protection or demarcation for cycling. These streets and roadways present a higher crash risk than other facility types, as high traffic volumes and heavy vehicles contribute to closer passing, and higher speeds contribute to higher crash risk and more serious injuries. These streets and roadways also present increased crash risk where there are parked cars.
Provincial Highways & Structures
Cycling is allowed on highways in British Columbia, with some exceptions.
See the BC Government webpage on cycling regulations, restrictions, and rules of the road for more details.
Cycling is prohibited on portions of the following highways except to cross an intersection and where signs indicate otherwise:
TransCanada Highway 1
Hope-Princeton Highway 3
Coquihalla Highway 5
Inland Island Highway 19
Annacis Highway 91
Annacis Highway 91A
Okanagan Connector Highway 97C
Highway 99
Cycling and walking is permitted exclusively on the sidewalks or multi-use paths of the following provincial structures:
Annacis Bridge - Highway 91
Cassiar Connector - Highway 1
East Channel Bridge - Highway 91
Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge - Highway 1
Knight Street Bridge - Knight Street, Vancouver
Lions Gate Bridge - Highway 1A/99
Oak Street Bridge - Highway 99
Pattullo Bridge - Highway 99A/1A
Port Mann Bridge - Highway 1
Queensborough Bridge - Highway 91A
William R. Bennett Bridge - Highway 97
Cycling and walking is also prohibited through the George Massey Tunnel (Highway 99) in Metro Vancouver.
Visit the TransLink website for schedules and stops of buses using the tunnel, which can carry two conventional bicycles.
Visit the Government of BC webpage or call 604.271.0337 for information about the dedicated George Massey Tunnel bicycle shuttle.
Bike Route Signs
Bicycle Crossing Ahead
Indicates to motor vehicle operators that they are approaching a location where a bicycle path crosses the road; this sign can also be used with the pedestrian symbol to indicate a shared crossing.
Bicycle Lane Closed/Detour
Used to warn cyclists that a bicycle lane is temporarily closed; variations of this sign may also direct people on bicycles to follow an alternate route due to bicycle lane closure.
Bike Route
Indicates the streets, highways, and separate facilities that form a dedicated bicycle route or network. The green bike route background and symbol on this sign can also be added to side-mounted or overhead street signs to indicate bicycle routes. Arrows can also be added to provide wayfinding guidance.
Dismount
People cycling must dismount and walk their bicycle through a specific area, often due to a high volume of other path or trail users, or the safety risks posed by mixing different travel modes in close proximity to one another.
Share the Road
Motor vehicle operators are to provide adequate space for bicycles, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users, such as scooter operators, wheelchair users, and people on horseback.
Shared Pathway
People on foot and bike may both use the path. Some shared use signs indicate to cyclists and pedestrians how to share a path in situations where there is a designated area for each.
Shared Use Lane - Single File
This sign is used to warn operators of both motor vehicles and bicycles that cyclists are allowed full use of the lane ahead and that motorists should not pass without changing lanes. Shared-use lane markings are sometimes present, marking the location where cyclists should position themselves within the lane.
Bike Route Markings & Symbols
Bicycle Box
A marked box, often painted green, at a signalized intersection, providing a space for people cycling to move ahead of other traffic and be visible while waiting to proceed or turn. Motorists may not occupy the bike box or move in front of a person waiting in the box.
Bicycle Lane (or ‘diamond and bike’)
A marked lane reserved for the exclusive use of bicycles. Motor vehicles are not permitted to travel or stop in this lane unless making a right turn onto a cross street. Diamond lanes are sometimes shared by bicycles and other vehicles such as buses; in these cases, permitted users will be identified by signs.
Bike Detection Symbol
Indicates the location of an in-pavement, bike-activated traffic signal ‘loop’ sensor—when bike wheels are positioned on this symbol, the metal disturbs the magnetic field in the pavement, initiating the traffic light change. Many municipalities provide guidance on their websites on how to position your bicycle to trigger the change.
Buffered Bike Lane
Buffered bike lanes are standard bike lanes paired with extra, marked space between the bicycle lane and the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane and/or parking lane.
Crossbikes (or ‘elephant’s feet’)
Crossings with wide dashed or dotted lines to indicate a crossing area for people cycling. These may be enhanced with green paint, and are sometimes combined with pedestrian crosswalks. Cycling through combined crossings is permitted; people on bikes must yield to people on foot.
Green Pavement
Painted areas that increase visibility of cycling facilities, and visually mark where bicycles should be positioned. Green pavement is also often used to identify locations where there may be conflicts with vehicles, such as driveway intersections, and busy, signalled street intersections along bike routes.
Shared use lane (‘sharrows’)
Markings which indicate that people on bicycles and motor vehicles must share the lane. Sharrows do not necessarily indicate cycling lane position, though they can sometimes indicate where to ride to avoid the ‘door zone’.