Trails promote walking and cycling as alternative means of getting from one place to another. There are several categories of trails:  on-road bicycle lanes, off-road bicycle paths, multi-use trails, and walking trails.

An extensive cycling network that connects neighbourhoods throughout the city is necessary to making Windsor into a more environmentally friendly community.

The total length of trails is one indicator of how available and useful the trail network is to residents of Windsor.  In general, more trails means more options for people to make trips without an automobile.  An extensive network of trails also creates options for recreation and physical fitness.

How are we doing?

The total length of trails calculated in 2007 is as follows:

• Bike lanes: 47 km (29 miles).  A bike lane is a dedicated portion of road surface for bicycle use only.  These lanes are indicated by pavement markings that separate the portion of road used by motor vehicles from that portion used by cyclists.
• Signed bike routes: 37 km (23 miles).  These routes are indicated only by a bicycle route sign.  Motorists are expected to watch for cyclists and share the same roadway lane with them.
• Multi-use trails: 64 km (40 miles).  A multi-use Trail is any off-road paved pathway that is designated for pedestrians and in-line skaters as well as non-motorized vehicles such as cyclists.  Such trails are physically separated from the road.
• Walking trails: 35 km (22 miles).  These consist of pathways in the City's parks and public greenspaces that are intended for pedestrians rather than cyclists.

Learn more about Windsor's Trails.

What is the City of Windsor doing to increase the number of trails?

The City of Windsor has been actively developing a cycling and multi-use recreation network since 1991 with the adoption of the Bicycle Use Development Study (BUDS). The completion of a comprehensive cycling network is viewed as integral to Windsor's vision for a balanced transportation system.

In 2001, City Council adopted the Bicycle Use Master Plan (BUMP).  Since the adoption of the BUMP, the City has been filling in the gaps in the existing recreation way network, and improving connections to, from and between existing cycling facilities.

The City supports the principle of consolidating rail traffic onto a few key rail lines, so that some lines can be abandoned and converted to other uses.  A network of trails, parks, and green space could be constructed along certain existing rail corridors, once they are no longer needed for trains.  In 2008, a strategic planning study was completed by the City of Windsor and Transport Canada to assess the opportunities for rail rationalization.  Such rationalization would require major investments by the Federal Government and the rail companies.

What can you do to promote the creation and use of trails?

Participate in the Windsor Bicycling Committee, which advises Council and City departments on matters relating to bicycling in Windsor.

Keep up-to-date on Environmental Assessments being conducted in Windsor and attend Public Open House events where you can provide comments regarding the inclusion of bicycle lanes as part of road reconstruction projects.

For a list of current studies that are underway and how to get involved, see the second half of the Environmental Assessments & Master Plans Page.

Make active use of the trails that exist throughout Windsor.  Advocate for added green space during the next Official Plan Review in 2013.  In addition to their environmental benefits, parks and trails often contribute to higher real estate value because residential properties adjacent to these areas are generally more desirable.

The Strategic Rail Study, completed in 2008, identified the potential for certain rail corridors to be converted into other uses, including trails.  One example of railway tracks that have been converted to recreational trails is the Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail in Ontario.  Interested residents can contact the Federal Government to express their support for rail rationalization.