Town of Banff

Bike Routes

Your feedback requested on bike route marking

"Sharrow" markings ease the way for cyclists on designated bike routes in Vancouver

Bicycles are always welcome on Banff streets, and many of us use our bikes regularly for both business and pleasure. Using a bike instead of a vehicle is a healthier, more environmentally friendly, and cheaper choice of transport.

But cycling residents and visitors may feel more welcome, and thus may use bicycles even more, with the implementation of marked bike routes. The Town is proposing to identify key on-road routes for commuting and recreation, and mark those routes with pavement markings and signage.

A number of North American cities (including bike-friendly Portland) have recently adopted a system using a symbol called a “sharrow” (shared right of way), which consists of a bike symbol topped with two chevrons. When road width does not allow for a dedicated bicycle lane, the sharrow is painted or permanently applied to the pavement in logical frequency (1 every 75 m or less, depending on the traffic situation), usually at the outside edge of the driving lane.

Sharrows guide motorists away from the right-hand edge of the driving lane, allowing space for cyclists. They also alert drivers to the potential presence of cyclists sharing the road. Sharrows inform cyclists that they are welcome on that particular route, and help to position them for the safest and most efficient shared use of the road. In some situations, sharrows are applied in the centre of the lane if there isn’t enough room for side-by-side vehicle and bicycle use.

The map below (PDF download)  is a rough draft of the routes on which sharrows are proposed.

• Proposed Designated Bike Routes ( PDF - 670 kb)
  

We want to identify direct routes for the commuter (Banff Avenue, for example), alternative “slower” routes that avoid high traffic volume in the downtown core (Muskrat and Cougar/Squirrel), main routes to the elementary school, routes that are most often used for recreation (Glen, Cave, Bow Avenues), and the route to Tunnel Mtn. Campground.

We invite anyone interested in this new initiative to provide written or verbal feedback by October 31. Clicking on the link will allow you to send an email our way. To provide verbal comments, or for more information, please call Susan Webb at 403.762.1214. Thank you!