West Link Project to include North Bay’s first ‘bike box’

North Bay, ON – May 14, 2021 – The City of North Bay will soon be installing its first bike box at the intersection of Main Street West, Memorial Drive and Murray Street 

A bike box is a designated area at the head of a traffic lane at a signalized intersection that provides cyclists with a safe and visible way to get ahead of queuing traffic during a red-light signal.

This new type of active transportation infrastructure is being introduced as part of the construction of the West Link multi-use pathway and the City’s ongoing effort to make North Bay a more bicycle-friendly city.

The West Link project was initiated last year and involved the construction of a three-meter wide, multi-use pathway along Main Street West between Gormanville Road and Timmins Street. The project resumed earlier this spring.

The work this year to improve the intersection at Main Street West, Memorial Drive and Murray Street and to complete the connection of the multi-use pathway and designated bike lanes on Main Street West is nearly complete. Paving was completed on Wednesday and the intersection is expected to reopen to traffic by end of day today.

The new bike box area will be added in the near future and will be identifiable to drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians by a green road marking. It will be accessible via Memorial Drive.

Bike boxes are aimed at increasing visibility of cyclists and helping both cyclists and drivers to share the road.

On a red light, vehicles are required to stop behind the green bike box. Bicycles move into the green designated box area from the multi-use pathway. Those turning left move to the left side of the green box and those proceeding straight wait in the centre of the green box. Bicycles turning right do so when it safe.

On a green light, bicycles go first. Right-turning drivers must check to see that the bike box and pathway are clear before turning right.

The City, in partnership with its Active Transportation Advisory Committee and Discovery Routes Trails Organization, will be sharing with the community additional educational and public awareness materials related to bike boxes and other active transportation infrastructure in the coming weeks.

For more information, please visit: https://www.northbay.ca/our-community/active-transportation/