Protected bike lanes – bike lanes that are separated from motorized traffic by posts, curbs, parked cars or planters – are popping up in cities all over North America, and with good reason. Protected bike lanes increase the number of people on bikes, can reduce speeding and crashes, and help all cyclists to feel safer on the roadways. For a quick introduction to protected bike lanes, the Green Lane Project has created Protected Bike Lanes 101.
In 2009, Winnipeg installed its first protected (bi-directional) bike lane on Assiniboine Avenue. Anyone who has yet to enjoy this quiet, tree-lined bicycle highway should do so; even today it’s busy with cyclists in spite of partial closure due to condo construction.
In 2013, a second protected bike lane was added to Winnipeg’s network on Pembina Highway. Separation is provided by delineator posts (or bollards) stretching from Chevrier Blvd to Plaza Drive.
The City of Winnipeg’s most recent addition is a short stretch of Sherbrook Street from Wolseley to Broadway, a bike lane separated from motorized traffic by parked cars. In this case, the bike lane is adjacent to the sidewalk, between the curb and parked cars on the east side of Sherbrook.
