City of Burlington adds their First Protected Bike Lanes and Bike Intersections
City of Burlington
29 November, 2023
The City of Burlington has completed their Plains Road bike facilities and resurfacing project, which means Burlington has its first series of protected bike intersections. Other work in this project included construction of new bikeways, a rain garden, resurfacing the road, curb and sidewalk replacement, driveway and landscape improvements, new transit stops, hydro pole relocations and streetlight upgrades.
The protected bike intersections are the first of its kind for Burlington. These intersections are designed to increase physical separation from motor vehicles, improve sightlines, reduce the likelihood of highspeed vehicle turns and significantly reduce the distance and time during which cyclists are at higher risks of encountering a vehicle.
The bike lanes and intersections add to Burlington’s existing, 48km of on-road bike lanes and greatly increases the safety and connectivity for cyclists of all abilities and needs. A physical barrier between cyclists and motorists is a big boost to safety and comfort.
Currently, the city offers the following cycling infrastructure:
48 km of bike lanes
47.3 km of bike route streets
6.4 km of bike lane/sharrow streets
11.7 km of paved shoulders
52.5 km of multi-use paths adjacent to the road
31.6 km of paved off-road, multi-use paths
An image of the protected bike lane along Plains Rd.
Rain Garden
Another interesting feature of this project is the rain garden along the south side of Plains Road. This rain garden will improve and enhance storm water movement and quality before discharging into our freshwater systems, such as the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System. It will also serve as a cooling and retention system lowering the temperature and reducing the volume of storm water entering our storm sewer systems and creeks. This promotes fish habitat and reduces algae bloom, as well as reduces stress on our storm sewer systems during storm events.
The rain garden also includes 18 new trees and a variety of different grass species and flowers.
This project was funded in part by the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF), formerly the federal Gas Tax Fund.
For more information about the project, visit burlington.ca/plainsroadresurfacing.
The bike lane project included the installation of a rain garden along the south side of Plains Rd. to help improve storm water management.