Bikeway Options Backgrounder

Bikeways are facilities designated for use by bicycles that are designed to increase the safety and comfort of cyclists and make cycling a more attractive mode of transportation. Studies show that cycling facilities can greatly increase levels of bicycle commuting and that bike trips are more likely to be made where bikeways exist.

TCAT's Bikeway Options backgrounder examines the benefits and challenges of five types of bikeway options (bike lanes, separated bike lanes, sharrows, signed routes, and off-road paths) that are currently in use, or under consideration, by the City of Toronto.

The purpose of the backgrounder is to provide the general public with access to some of the most recent research on bikeways in an easy-to-read short two-page PDF format. It is designed to be viewed on-line or printed double-sided.

The first version of this backgrounder was released in September 2011 and updated in December 2011. The revised version contains updates to the price per km of separated facilities to reflect the wide range in cost.