Toronto’s Cycling Infrastructure

Cycle tracks are separate lanes for bicycles that are adjacent to the roadway, but separated from vehicular traffic. Cycle tracks help distinguish the area for cycling from motor vehicle traffic (more than a painted bicycle lane). The tracks create an environment which is safer for cycling.

The diamond marking in cycle tracks is the symbol for a “reserved lane.” Every lane with a diamond in it has accompanying lane restriction by-laws.

Some cycle tracks have spaces for vehicle parking beside the lane. When passengers and drivers are exiting their vehicles, they must first ensure the cycle track is clear. Pedestrians crossing the street must treat the cycle track as a live vehicle lane and wait until the lane is clear before crossing.

Designated bicycle lanes are a dedicated part of the roadway for the exclusive use of people cycling. Other road users may not lawfully drive, stand, stop or park in a designated bicycle lane.

The diamond marking in bicycle lanes is the symbol for a “reserved lane.” Every lane with a diamond in it has accompanying lane restriction bylaws.

Contra-flow bicycle lanes allow people cycling to travel in two directions on a street, which is one-way for all other vehicles. People must cycle in one direction in the designated bicycle lane. When travelling in the opposite direction, people will cycle in the mixed-use traffic lane or marked cycle lane.

Bicycle symbols and diamonds are located inside the contra-flow bicycle lane. The diamond symbol is the symbol for a “reserved” lane. Every lane with a diamond in it has accompanying lane restriction bylaws. The contra-flow bicycle lane will also include painted arrows, communicating that people must only cycle in one direction in this lane.

Making a street dual direction can create valuable neighbourhood connections for people cycling who wish to avoid busy arterial roadways.

Trail projects play an important role in connecting and expanding Toronto’s cycling network. Within this network, each trail, park, bicycle lane or other component has a particular role to play. As a result, each trail needs to have certain characteristics to ensure that it can perform appropriately. Three classes of trails are identified by their role in the network.

Secondary

• Local connections.
• Feeder or tributary routes.

Primary

• Connects different parts of the city.
• Collects traffic from secondary trails.
• Connects with other primary trails.

High-Capacity

• May perform any or all of the functions of primary and/or secondary trails.
• Collects traffic from primary and secondary trails.
• Trail may be a destination or attraction itself.

Design Guidelines

Learn more about Toronto’s Multi-Use Trail Design Guidelines.

When a multi-use trail (or two-way bikeway) is within two metres of the roadway, a splash guard or other approved physical separation is required between the roadway and multi-use trail or bikeway.

Share Lane Markings, or “Sharrows” are road markings used to indicate a shared environment for bicycles and motor vehicles. The shared lane markings highlight cycling routes, which alert all road users to the presence of bicycle traffic on the street, and may also be configured to offer directional and wayfinding guidance for people cycling.  The shared lane marking is not a dedicated cycling facility, but a pavement marking, which has a variety of uses to support a complete bikeway network.

• Drivers must wait behind a person on a bicycle until it is safe to pass with minimum one metre clearance.
• For safety reasons, people cycling should ride one metre from the curb to avoid debris and sewer grates.
• In lanes that are too narrow for people cycling and motorists to travel side-by-side, those cycling should ride in the centre of the lane to discourage motorists from passing too closely.
• Where there is on-street parking, people cycling should ride one metre from parked cars to avoid the “door zone.”

Although it is the motorist’s and/or passenger’s responsibility to look first before opening their door, riding too close to parked cars can lead to serious injuries that can be avoided.

Sharrows are also used through intersections and some merge zones to support straight-line cycling and to increase the visibility of people cycling.

These are quiet street cycling routes where wayfinding signage has been installed. Toronto is currently in the process of renewing these quiet street cycling routes by adding pavement markings to support the existing wayfinding signage.

Neighbourhood Greenways are routes where people cycling and pedestrians are given priority by creating an environment with low motor vehicle volumes and speeds.

Neighbourhood Greenways typically feature speed management features, one-way streets, raised crossings, contra-flow bicycle lanes, traffic diverters, wayfinding signage and safe crossings of major roadways.

Reasons for building Neighbourhood Greenways include providing parallel routes to major corridors, reducing non-local traffic infiltration and speeds, and encouraging cycling among less experienced cyclists.

Download the Neighbourhood Greenways Guide to learn more about the benefits, criteria and features of Neighbourhood Greenways.

The City is in the process of installing more protected intersections. They enhance safety for all road users by reducing the likelihood of high-speed turns and improving sightlines.

Benefits of protected intersections include:

• Drivers have increased visibility of people cycling from the passenger window while waiting at a red light because the bicycle stop line is located ahead of the cars.
• Corner islands lower vehicle speeds and give a better view of pedestrians and people cycling when turning right.

• Ease of making a two-stage left turn with a dedicated queuing area for people cycling.
• Separation of the bikeway from vehicle traffic, providing a high degree of comfort and safety for people cycling.

When approaching a protected intersection, please do the following:

• Drivers should yield to pedestrians and people cycling before turning right around the corner island on the green signal. 
• People cycling should yield to pedestrians at the crosswalk before positioning themselves behind the stop bar at the corner island (protected waiting area) to either proceed through the intersection or make a two-stage left turn.
• Pedestrians should use the crosswalks, which are set back from the intersection.

The Cycling Network Plan, adopted by City Council in  2019, seeks to build on the existing network of cycling routes to Connect gaps in the current network, Grow the network into new parts of the city, and Renew existing parts of the network to improve safety – with corresponding objectives and indicators for measuring and evaluating success.

Learn more about Cycling Upgrades & Renewals that are carried out by implementing new line markings, bundling with state-of-good repair road or water projects, or standalone cycling or intersection improvements.

Bike boxes are used at intersections to designate a space for people cycling to wait in front of cars at the red light. People on bicycles may then proceed first when the light turns green. At red lights, the drivers must stop at the stop line, behind the bike box. A bike box means right hand turns on red lights are not permitted.

When you are cycling, you should position yourself at the right, left, or center of the bike box, depending on the direction you want to travel.

Left-turn bike boxes indicate a designated area for people cycling to safely make a left turn at multi-lane signalized intersections from a right side cycle track or bicycle lane.

Left-turn bike boxes offer several benefits to people cycling, such as providing a formal waiting space to make a two-stage turn, reducing turning conflicts between people cycling and driving, and separating people who are cycling through an intersection from those who are turning.

To use a left-turn bike box, people cycling should proceed through the intersection in the bikeway or right lane, and position themselves in the designated area while waiting for their signal, facing the direction in which they would like to travel. When the traffic or bicycle light turns green, they may continue cycling through the intersection.

Cycling-only blocks are located at intersections and restrict travel by motor vehicles, while allowing people cycling to pass through.

Cycling-only blocks offer the following benefits:

• Eliminate east-west traffic infiltration on adjacent streets
• Encourages low stress east-west and north-south cycling
• Maintains access to properties and curbside parking
• Eliminates required direction changes
• Creates roadway space for seating, planting and bike share stations
• Creates two distinct traffic blocks

Diagonal diverters are located at four-way minor intersections, which require all motor vehicle traffic to turn in one direction only, while allowing people cycling and walking to proceed through.

Diagonal diverters offer the following benefits:

• Eliminates traffic infiltration on adjacent streets
• Encourages low stress east-west and north-south cycling
• Maintains access to properties and curbside parking

A truck apron is a mountable curb that can accommodate passenger vehicles and/or design vehicles. The truck apron radius is mounted by trucks when making right
turns.

Truck aprons allow for intersection corners to be designed for smaller vehicles, while also accommodating larger vehicles to turn at
an intersection corner.

Chevron pavement markings indicate the route people cycling should take through the intersection. This increases drivers’ awareness of people cycling and makes their travel more predictable at intersections.

Green markings are used at intersections and driveways where vehicles interact with bikeways. They serve to increase the visibility of bikeways, making drivers aware of people cycling.

Bicycle detector symbols indicate where people cycling should position themselves at an intersection to be detected by the traffic signal.

There are two types of bicycle detector symbols in Toronto: those with a line through the symbol (induction loop) and those without (non-intrusive). If you see a line on the pavement, lean forward on your bike with the crank and wheels positioned on top of it inside the rectangle. The induction loop will then sense the presence of something metal, which will trigger the traffic signal to change.

A non-intrusive detector consists of a radar, infrared, video or microwave sensor located on a traffic signal pole that is aimed down. Ensure that you are positioned either within the bike lane or behind the stop bar to be detected by the traffic signal.

The City’s standard bicycle detector symbol consists of a bicycle located between two vertical lines, which replaced the previous symbol of three vertical dots.