Abstract Manager

In many international jurisdictions, cyclists are often allowed to travel both ways on narrow one way roads, a policy that can be extremely impactful at creating a complete network for people cycling. For example, in Brussels, 25% of their cycling road network is made up of this kind of contraflow cycling.  Allowing contraflow cycling encourages ridership by reducing the barrier of distance and improving access to destinations. However, Canadian jurisdictions have often been unable to take advantage of this significant opportunity due to complacency, lack of technical knowledge and regulations.  

In 2024, Edmonton installed the 107 Avenue pilot project that allows cyclists to travel both ways on a narrow one-way road for four blocks. 107 Avenue is a local neighbourhood road that parallels a major arterial shopping street, with no bike infrastructure, and has  existing one-ways intended to limit vehicle access. However, the unintended consequence is that it took away a beneficial link for cyclists.  This presentation will share the (i) summary of experiences in both international and Canadian jurisdictions, including best practices and collision research, (ii) context on the 107 Avenue corridor, specifically what made it a good fit for a pilot and how we got buy-in while working with different groups across the city, (iii) Implementation, including public communications, signage, and design and (iv) evaluation and next steps.