Advisory Lanes and Walk/Bike Lanes

What is an advisory lane? 

A new way to share the road!

An advisory lane is similar to a bike lane, creating a preferential space for people biking. On some streets without sidewalks, advisory lanes may be shared by people walking and biking. They are widely used in Europe and have recently been introduced to US streets in Minneapolis, Hanover, Portland, and now Burlington. 

Advisory lanes are marked with a dashed white line, indicating that people can drive over the advisory lane when needing to yield to oncoming motor vehicle traffic. These markings may be used on streets that have a higher volume of traffic than neighborhood streets, but less traffic than major roadways. These lanes give people biking - or on some streets walking - a space to do so, while leaving space available for motorists to pass oncoming traffic.

How to use an advisory lane?

When you drive:

• Each side of the road has an advisory lane for people walking or biking on the roadway. 
• Motorists share the wide center lane. 
• Yield to people bicycling (or walking) in the advisory lane.
• Travel behind someone using the advisory lane until it is safe to pass. 
• Check for anyone in the advisory lane before moving to the right when passing oncoming vehicles. 

When you walk or bike:

• Be more prepared for a motorist to enter the bike lane than on typical streets.
• If a sidewalk is available, people walking should use the sidewalks so that the narrow roadway may be shared by people biking and driving. 

For a visual example of how to use  advisory bike lanes, the City of Ottawa has provide a video guide and  a 30-second summary shows advisory lanes in use in the Netherlands. 

Where are advisory lanes planned?

Flynn Avenue, providing access to Oakledge Park in 2017. 

Why Flynn Avenue? For several years the Department of Public Works and the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront have worked with Oakledge Park neighbors regarding parking impacts from visitors to Oakledge Park. Last year, parking was restricted on Flynn Avenue leading into the park and kiosks that allow hourly parking were added to Oakledge Park, which provides more parking options within the park itself. Without parking on Flynn Avenue, it will be easier and safer to walk from the park without vehicles unloading park supplies on the sidewalk, it will provide space for people to bicycle to and from the park, and it will allow more space for vehicles to drive on Flynn Avenue without feeling constrained by sharing the road with bicycles, parked cars, people unloading park supplies into the street, and other neighborhood traffic. In place of the on-street parking, advisory lanes can be added to formalize the options for bicycling into the park and to calm traffic as drivers share the wide center lane. 

See below for some before and after photos of Flynn Avenue Advisory Bike Lanes:

Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns? Please contact us here.