More options this winter for walking and cycling in Ottawa

Published on
December 15, 2023
Parking, roads, traffic and transit
Recreation and parks

Feature story

This winter the City will maintain more than 2,800 kilometres of sidewalk and 60 kilometres of cycling routes in Ottawa. Learn more about Ottawa’s active transportation network.

A cyclist rides on a cycle path next to an urban street in winter.

Here’s what’s new in active transportation this winter:

  • As part of a pilot project, the City will remove ice and snow from the staircases at the Corktown and Flora Bridges.
  • The new bidirectional cycle track connecting Mackenzie Avenue to the Rideau Canal Eastern Pathway, which opened on October 26, will be maintained.
  • The new cycle tracks along Montreal Road from Vanier Parkway to St-Laurent Boulevard will be maintained. The cycle tracks were added through the recent $64 million Montreal Road revitalization project.

The City remains committed to exploring opportunities to expand the winter cycling network to include additional linkages that connect to the existing winter network or to rapid transit stations. The existing network is largely within the downtown area with some key segments of multi-use pathway in Orleans, Barrhaven and Kanata.

A map of the winter cycling network can be found on the City's GeoOttawa website and on ottawa.ca.

Safety reminder: If you are riding at night or in low light your bike must have a white light at the front and a red rear light or reflector. Two strips of white reflective tape on the front forks are also recommended.

For more information on City programs and services, visit ottawa.ca, call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) or 613-580-2400 to contact the City using Canada Video Relay Service. You can also connect with us through FacebookX (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.