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An expanded active transportation network will provide safe, direct options for commuting to work or running errands, cycling to a local park, or accessing the river valley for recreational trips. Active transportation (walking, cycling and rolling) improves access, reduces vehicle trips and traffic congestion, and supports healthy minds and bodies.
Construction on 10 new shared pathways at locations around the city will begin in the spring and summer of 2024.
Planning and design for the 2025 routes is underway and anticipated to be completed in early 2025. More information about the 2025 routes will be shared later this year.
Guided by The Bike Plan and The Bike Plan Implementation Guide, the current active transportation network will be expanded over 2023 - 2026.
In December 2022, City Council approved accelerated implementation of an active transportation network.
The Active Transportation Network Expansion project focuses on completing missing links in the network, including:
The infrastructure will include:
For a map of the entire active transportation network, please visit the Discover YEG Map.
| Shared pathway |
In 2024, approximately 17 kilometres of the network will be completed.
The 2025 routes will be finalized in the spring/summer of 2024.
The 2026 routes will be finalized in 2025.
In addition to providing a safe, comfortable and convenient option for people to walk, bike and roll, the active transportation infrastructure will:
Planning and design for the active transportation network expansion draws on feedback gathered during public engagement for the City’s Bike Plan (2020) and The City Plan.
Focused public engagement opportunities are anticipated for more complex route connections, while less complex connections will be completed with targeted stakeholder or property owner engagement.
The 2023-2026 capital budget includes $100 million for the active transportation network expansion. It makes up 2% of the approximately $5 billion capital budget for transportation projects, including roads and bridges.
A network of routes was identified based on the Bike Plan and Bike Plan Implementation Guide and prioritized to confirm which connections will best provide a connected, city-wide network with the available funding.
Guided by the network principles in the Bike Plan, the prioritization considers connectivity, ridership potential, equity and safety.
Note: Some connections will be delivered as part of aligning capital projects.
Applying a GBA+ lens, social vulnerability information and feedback gathered from a diverse range of Edmontonians during the development of the Bike Plan was considered to prioritize routes in areas of the city where diverse populations may experience social, economic or physical barriers to mobility.
A data-driven analysis was conducted considering population and employment density and available active transportation routes to determine ridership potential and prioritize connections that are more likely to see cycling activity and increase connectivity.
Routes located on roadways that are part of the City’s High Injury network, where more crashes have historically occurred, were assigned a higher priority to improve the safety of people cycling.
Following prioritization, routes were scheduled considering planning, design and public engagement needs. This stage of work included identifying facilities, assessing constraints and determining route complexity. Key considerations included:
The infrastructure for each active transportation route will be selected considering the function, design, speed and traffic volumes of the roadway, as well as constraints including utilities, trees, access and parking. When building active transportation routes, we are guided by the Complete Streets Design and Construction Standards and best practices with careful consideration given to designing for users of all ages and abilities.
The Active Transportation Expansion project is intended to connect to existing routes, improving access and connectivity, and creating a more complete active transportation network. The routes include a mix of city-wide district connector routes that extend across multiple communities and neighbourhood routes that provide local connections.
Facilities are selected that meet design standards and best practices considering the characteristics of the roadway they are located on, including the speed and traffic volumes. Protected facilities are generally the preferred choice and are recommended for routes where higher motor vehicle speeds and volumes warrant physical separation to ensure the safety and comfort of people cycling.
There will also be local street bikeways (previously called shared streets) and painted lanes. The design guidelines for local street bikeways are being updated to include traffic calming elements and intersection improvements to improve safety and provide a comfortable user experience. Painted bike lanes are being considered for routes on local roadways with lower speeds and volumes that tie in to existing painted bike lanes.
Since the project is being implemented in a rapid fashion, many connections will use adaptable infrastructure similar to the Downtown Bike Network. Evaluation and monitoring of the Active Transportation Network expansion will be ongoing and adjustments to adaptable infrastructure will be considered to ensure the network stays a safe and accessible transportation option. There will be an evaluation period of about 1 year to determine how the network is operating before any potential changes are considered.