Cycling Rules
Ministry of Transportation Rules for Cycling
A bicycle is a vehicle under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. [H.T.A. 1. (1)]
Cyclists must obey traffic laws and can be fined for breaking them. [“Cycling and The Law”, Ministry of Transportation]
Cyclists in Brampton must:
- Ride in single file [By-law 93-93, 11. (2)]
- Ride as near to the right hand side of the road as practicable unless they are:
- Passing other vehicles [By-law 93-93, 11. (3)]
- Turning left
- Travelling in a lane that is too narrow to share
- Allow faster vehicles to pass [H.T.A. 148]
- Ride in a straight line at least 1 metre away from parked vehicles
- Not ride on paved road shoulders
- In urban areas a cyclist may take the lane if it is too narrow to share safely with motorists [“Riding in Traffic”, Ministry of Transportation]
- Keep their feet on their pedals
- Keep both hands on the handlebars, except for the purpose of signalling
- Not perform tricks [By‑law 93‑93, 11. (1)]
- Not attach their bicycle or themselves to another vehicle on the road [H.T.A. 178 (1.)]
- Only carry the number of passengers the bicycle is designed for [H.T.A. 178 (1.)]
- Park on a road to cause the least possible obstruction to pedestrian or vehicular traffic [By-law 93-93, 11. (4)]
- Stay off sidewalks unless both bicycle wheels are less than 50 cm (24 in) or the sidewalk is designated as a multi-use path
- Motor assisted bicycles and e-bikes cannot use any sidewalk or multi‑use trail [By-law 93-93, 10. (1)]
- Cyclists must walk across a pedestrian crosswalk [H.T.A. 140(1), 144(29)]
- Stop for red lights and stop signs [H.T.A. 144]
- Stop for stopped school buses when the red lights are flashing [H.T.A. 175 (12.)]
- Travel according to the designated direction on one‑way streets [H.T.A. 153]
- Comply with all other posted traffic signs
- Use hand signals to indicate turns or lane changes including taking the lane [H.T.A. 142 (1.)]