Cycle Track Concepts for Burlington ON: Design Lessons from Apeldoorn NL

Burlington (ON) has just completed an update to their Cycling Master Plan but with a Dutch twist—their twin city Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, sent one of their bikeway traffic engineers, Mr. Wim Mulder, to assist in defining improvements to get more people cycling. A concept for a “quality framework” for the cycling network was developed. This concept focuses on improving cycling quality of two existing linear trails that traverse the City, creating a new crossing of the QEW freeway, introducing cycle tracks on a future rapid transit corridor along the northern boundary of the City, and filling in the framework with bike lanes and bicycle priority streets. Mr. Mulder’s experience and impressions of Burlington are outlined. The design concept of European cycle tracks is introduced. These are intended to address increasing the comfort of cyclists along busy, higher speed roads. The design quality, maintenance standard and legislative environment that are required to make them work in Burlington ON are discussed. The presentation will compare and contrast photos of existing conditions in Burlington with Apeldoorn, and provide North American examples of similar design elements.