Active Transportation Design Guide

Last updated on May 3, 2024

Recommended policies, specifications, standards and guidelines to be followed in the development of active transportation infrastructure in British Columbia.

Core Documents


  • Updates
    This document will be updated over time to reflect evolving best practices.

Active Transportation Guide - Individual Chapters

Individual chapters of the B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide are provided in PDF format for quicker download and to enable the replacement of updated individual sections as required.

Table of Contents

Intro

View (PDF 4.0 MB)  |  Download (PDF 32.7 MB)

A.  Overview + Context

View (PDF 2.7 MB)  |  Download (PDF 25.6 MB)

       A.1 What is the British Columbia Active Transportation Design Guide? 

B.  Setting the Context

View (PDF 8.2 MB)  |  Download (PDF 43.5 MB)

B.1 What is Active Transportation?
B.2 Planning for Active Transportation
B.3 Universal Design
B.4 Operational and Behavioral Characteristics 

C.  Pedestrian Facilities

View (PDF 11.9 MB)  |  Download (PDF 55.7 MB)

C.1 General Design Guidance
C.2 Pedestrian Through Zone
C.3 Frontage. Furnishing, and Ancillary Zones
C.4 Rural Pedestrian Design Considerations

D.  Cycling Facilities

View (PDF 16.1 MB)  |  Download (PDF 59.1 MB)

D.1 General Design Guidance
D.2 Neighborhood Bikeways
D.3 Protected Bicycle Lanes
D.4 Painted + Buffered Bicycle Lanes
D.5 Advisory Bicycle Lanes
D.6 Rural Cycling Design Considerations

E.  Multi-Use Facilities

View (PDF 8.8 MB)  |  Download (PDF 46.7 MB)

E.1 General Design Guidance
E.2 Multi-Use Pathways
E.3 Separated Bicycle + Pedestrian Pathways
E.4 Shared Spaces

F.  Context Specific Applications

View (PDF 3.7 MB)  |  Download (PDF 26.9 MB)

F.1 Current Practices for Highway Rights-of-Way

G.  Intersections + Crossings

View (PDF 20.2 MB)  |  Download (PDF 84.1 MB)

G.1 General Design Guidance
G.2 Signals + Other Traffic Devices
G.3 Pedestrian Crossings
G.4 On-Street Bikeway Crossings
G.5 Off-Street Pathway Crossings
G.6 Additional Crossings + Conflict Areas

H.  Amenities + Integration

View (PDF 16.7 MB)  |  Download (PDF 61.8 MB)

Supplement: Design Guide for Bus Stops Adjacent to Cycling Infrastructure (2024 Edition) (PDF, 14.1MB)
(See Update for more information)

H 1. Multi-Modal Integration
H.2 End-Point Facilities
H.3 Wayfinding
H.4 Lighting
H.5 New Mobility Integration

I.  Post Implementation

View (PDF 10.8 MB)  |  Download (PDF 37.4 MB)

I.1 Celebrating + Launching
I.2 Monitoring + Reporting
I.3 Maintenance

Appendices

View (PDF 2.2 MB)  |  Download (PDF 5.9 MB)

Acronyms
Glossary
References
A. Project Participants
B. Signage + Pavement Markings
C. Types of Traffic Calming Devices

Purchase a Hard Copy
B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide available for purchase

Order the B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide - Hard Copy


Update your document
Download updates from this site to keep up-to-date with current recommendations.

Contact information

Friendly Url for this Web Page: 
www.gov.bc.ca/Activetransportationdesignguide

Contact us with feedback about the B.C. Active Transportation Design Guide: