A proposal for improving bicycle infrastructure in Belleville, Ontario.

1. Bicycle Friendly Traffic Lights
One small step towards complete streets in Belleville

2. Transportation Master Plan
• Recommends the City of Belleville adopt a Complete Streets policy
• “A Complete Street is designed for all ages, abilities, and modes of travel. On
Complete Streets, safe and comfortable access for pedestrians, bicycles,
transit users and the mobility-impaired is not an afterthought, but an integral
planning feature.” Complete Streets for Canada
• The mobility and safety of bicycles on Belleville’s roads should be
considered a priority project
• Improvements proposed in this presentation will be simple and inexpensive
to implement
• This project, along with others currently underway, would set a solid precedent for the
construction of complete streets in Belleville

3. Sensor Activated Traffic Lights
• It is possible for any bicycle to activate a magnetic loop traffic sensor
• But only when the wheels of the bicycle are in the right position
• The corners of the sensor loop, and middle portion of a figure eight
loop, are the most sensitive
• Retrofit loops are visible from the road surface and do not pose a
major problem for cyclists
• Fresh paving can obscure the actual location of the sensor loop
• Cyclists are left guessing, frustrated, and vulnerable at such intersections

4. What intersections are affected?
• Intersections that are controlled by sensor activated traffic lights
• When the location of the sensor loop is not visible from the road surface
• Many important intersections are affected
• Multiple intersections along Dundas St.
• Key connections to the Bayshore Trail are affected
• Sidney St. & Moira St.
• Current bicycle connection to Loyalist College affected
• Multiple intersections along Bell Blvd.
• Access to businesses along Bell Blvd. affected
• North Front St. & College St.
• Too many others to list

5. Solution: Bike Dots
• Three yellow dots on the road surface indicate to cyclists where they
should position their bicycles to activate the sensor loop
• The dots are placed over the most sensitive part of the loop
• For rectangular loops, the dots should be placed starting from the front left hand corner
of the loop
• For figure eight loops, the dots should be placed starting from the front at the
intersection of the two loops
• Figure eight loops are preferred in new construction
• More sensitive than a rectangular loop
• Positions cyclists in middle of lane rather than to the left - safer

6. Actions to Effect Change
• Assign a team from public works to locate hidden loops and mark
their locations using bike dots
• Identify problem intersections through consultation with the public and
internal review
• Require the use of bike dots in all new infrastructure projects which
include magnetic-loop traffic sensors
• Work with community partners to educate cyclists about bike dots

7. Thank you for your
consideration