Introduction
The City of Hamilton provides a combination of off-road multi-use paths, on-street dedicated bike lanes and on-street signed bike routes to serve recreational and commuter cyclists' needs. Cycling, as a means of transportation, helps address environmental issues such as pollution and climate change, and it also improves your personal health through increased physical activity.
One third of all Hamilton commuter trips are within 5 km of work (not even including school trips!), that is a travel time of 25 minutes cycling at an easy pace.
This webpage includes information on the following topics:
Hamilton Bike Maps & Tourism Info
Click on either of the following links for PDF versions of the City's cycling infrastructure. It is recommended that you zoom into the area you desire and use the Print "Current View" command to print smaller portions of the map in greater detail.
View the Bike Routes, Trails and Parks Map - 2010 urban (4MB)
View the Bike Routes, Trails and Parks Map - 2010 rural (5.5MB)
You can also pick up a hardcopy of the Bike Routes, Trails and Parks map at the following locations:
Click here for a website that calculates walking and cycling travel times for trips close to your home (or any address you enter).
Tourism Links:
Tourism Hamilton for details about Hamilton as a destination for cycling.
Welcome Cyclists specifically describing Hamilton area resources and bike friendly tourism.
City of Hamilton Trails for info highlighting major multi-use trails managed by the City.
Hamilton Conservation Authority for info highlighting major multi-use trails managed by the Conservation Authority (HCA).
Bike Racks on Transit Vehicles
All HSR (city transit) busses have a bike rack attached to the front bumper. For more details watch this video clip, see the instructions/details as a PDF, or contact HSR Info: 905-527-4441.
GO Transit also uses the same design of bike rack on their bus fleet that connects the Hamilton area to the GTA. Bicycles are also permitted on GO Trains, but check the following link for time period restrictions. Click here for more GO Transit info.
Cycling Safety
Safety is a matter for all roadway users - pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. Always be alert of your own actions and of other people's actions around you.
Click here to see a very fun video which the City of London, UK has created to remind roadway users to be mindful of cyclists.
- Only children are legally permitted to ride on the sidewalk.
- The Ontario Highway Traffic Act defines bicycles as vehicles.
- Obey all traffic laws, signs and signals.
- Ride in the correct direction in a bike lane, they are not typically two-way facilities.
- Everyone should wear a helmet and people under age 18 are required to wear a helmet.
The Hamilton Police Services website posts additional information about cycling safety.
Questions about e-bikes?
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) website includes e-bike information.
The MTO website also provides a broader overview of "New and Alternative Vehicles".
Cycling Infrastructure - Completed Improvements and On-going Projects
The City of Hamilton is continually working to improve the cycling network. The City is currently working on the following cycling facilities:
- Stone Church Road - between Garth Street & Upper James Street (the "missing" link in the full length of Stone Church Road !), pavement markings yet to complete
- Woodward Avenue - between Brampton Street & Melvin Avenue as part of planned street reconstruction in 2010
- Upper Wellington Street - between Stone Church Road & Rymal Road as part of planned street reconstruction in 2010
- York Boulevard - between Bay Street & James Street as part of planned street reconstruction in 2010
- Queensdale Avenue - between Upper Wellington Street & Upper Ottawa Street. This project is not proceeding.
- Burlington Street - between Birch Avenue & Ottawa Street, in the planning stage
- Aberdeen Avenue - between Longwood Road & Studholme Road (eastbound), in the planning stage
- Longwood Road - between King Street & Main Street implementation is scheduled for the summer of 2010. North of Franklin Avenue to Princess Point bike lanes are being reconstructed in 2010 - along with the rest of the roadway.
There are also three crossings of expressways for cyclists & pedestrians that the City is currently undertaking:
- A multi-use path over Hwy 403 south of Main Street between Leland & Studholme and continuing south of Aberdeen Avenue to Glenside, planned to be constructed in 2010. Some portions of this path use a former CP Railway corridor. Click here for more details, click here for a map.
- A multi-use path over the LINC/RHVP near Albion Falls, to be implemented by 2010. Click here for more details.
- A multi-use path over the QEW by the Red Hill Valley, to be completed by Fall 2010. Click here for more details.
In addition to the projects noted above, planning of other projects continues:
- Hunter Street through the downtown.
- Paramount Drive and Winterberry Drive in the Heritage Green neighbourhood.
Highlights of some past additions and upgrades to the cycling network:
- Dundurn Street - between Main Street & Aberdeen Avenue, painted in May 2010
- King Street - between Nash Road & Battlefield Drive
- Sanders Boulevard - between West Park Avenue & Cootes Drive
- North Service Road - a well defined cycling route, comprised of a combination of on-street bike routes, on-street painted bike lanes, and off-road multi-use pathways, between Confederation Park and Fifty Point Conservation Area
- York Boulevard - on-street bike lanes between Dundurn Street and the City of Burlington border
- Ferguson Avenue bike lanes, including on the new bridge north of Barton Street
- Stone Church Road - continued implementation of on-street bike lanes implemented in many sections, including between Upper James Street and Upper Wellington Street and east of Pritchard Road
- King Street - between Pottruff Road and Nash Road
- Bicycle-Friendly Stairs - constructed from Kimberly Drive up to Mountain Brow Boulevard
- Bike Racks in various BIAs
- Eastport Drive Lift Bridge - a bicycle-friendly stairway has been built on the Hamilton side of the bridge as well as a paved pathway leading from the stairway to the Beach Trail
- Sterling Street - on-street bike lanes
- Longwood Road North - on-street bike and pedestrian lanes
- Upper Paradise Road - on-street bike lanes
Other Plans, Policies and Guidelines
- City of Hamilton Design Guidelines for Bikeways: Design Guide (0.7MB)
- The Transportation Master Plan (TMP)
- The Walking & Cycling Policy Paper developed for the TMP
Bike Parking & Bike Racks
Click here for more details about bike racks AND enclosed bike parking.
In 2004, as part of the Cycling Infrastructure Improvements Report, the City of Hamilton committed to installing bicycle racks within the 11 Business Improvement Areas. For further information regarding the Bike Rack Program please contact Daryl Bender at Daryl.Bender@hamilton.ca or at 905.546.2424 x.2066.
Bicycle Theft
NEW - Operation Bike Guard
Hamilton Police Services have just launched an easier way to record information that identifies your bicycle should it be stolen. One of the issues with bicycle theft is the difficulty of identifying bicycles when they are recovered. Click here for more details.
Record your bicycle serial number to facilitate claiming your bicycle should it ever be stolen. Aside from storing the number in your own home, there are bike registries on the web that offer a similar service. Typically the serial number of your bicycle is on the frame under the shaft that houses the pedals. The Hamilton Police have an engraver that you can borrow to engrave personal ID on your bike to facilitate bike identification too (905-546-2424 x.4900 to arrange).
If your bicycle is stolen, please visit the police station nearest you to file a stolen/lost bicycle report. The report must be filled out in person and they will provide you with more details at that time. The bicycle report will enable the Police to identify your bike should it be recovered and also the report provides statistical information. The Hamilton Police hold unclaimed bicycles for a minimum of 30 days; so should your bicycle be stolen, check with the Police. The Police do not hold their own auctions to get rid of unclaimed bicycles. Unclaimed bicycles are auctioned off through an on-line service based in Toronto. Click here for a link to the website associated with this service.
Hamilton Cycling Committee
The purpose of the Hamilton Cycling Committee (HCyC) is to advise the City on all matters relating to cycling, to monitor implementation of the Hamilton cycling plan, to encourage and participate in planning bicycling facilities, to encourage citizens to cycle instead of drive and to educate on the benefits and necessities of cycling. The Terms of Reference provides more details. General information about the HCyC and other City of Hamilton committees is summarized on this webpage.
The Hamilton Cycling Committee is a public committee and all citizens are welcome to attend meetings. To find out when and where the next meeting will be held call 905.546.2424 x.2066 or visit the Hamilton Cycling Committee website Cycle Hamilton. Minutes of the meetings are sent to the City's Public Works Committee (PWC) and are included with PWC meeting agendas which are posted on the website. The link to 2010 PWC meeting agendas.
Picture Gallery
Click on the following thumbnails for samples of some of our cycling facilities:
Contact Us
If you have additional questions or would like to leave comments, please email us or contact us at the following number 905.546.2424 x.2066.