Bike boxes explained

You may have noticed some neon green additions to Hunter Street in Hamilton over the past few weeks. They’re called bike boxes, and if they have you scratching your head, you’re not alone.

They’re hard to miss. Bright green, nearly spanning the width of the road. But they remain a mystery to most drivers.
What’s a bike box? That’s an important question for both cyclists and drivers learning to navigate the new Hunter Street bike lanes in Hamilton.

“There’s two travel lanes to your right so you want to be able to cross them safely. So, when you have a red signal, you can come across, and then when the path is clear of pedestrians and crossing traffic on the cross street, then you can proceed and make your right turn,” said Daryl Bender, a project manager working in alternative transportation.

Cars stop behind the bike box, to give cyclists a buffer zone.

The bike boxes only apply to westbound riders turning right. If you’re going east and you’re making a left turn, inch into the intersection, wait for a gap in traffic and then turn left.

Bright green boxes aside, the Hunter Street bike lanes require a few other adjustments from drivers, and cyclists.

“Technically Hunter is no longer a one way street. it is now a two way street,” said Bender.

That means drivers can no longer turn left on a red from a one way street.

Hamilton’s shift to becoming a cycle-friendly city has only just started, and many riders feel more work needs to be done. But the Hunter Street lanes are a start.

“Even in this extent, we still are getting feedback from people that this is adding mobility to cyclists that they didn’t have before,” said Bender.

Two-direction bike lanes are coming to Cannon Street next. They’re expected late this summer. But because the road is wider, and busier, you won’t be seeing the same bike box design. Instead, the city is installing two stage left turn boxes.