Bike boxes
A bike box provides a space where people riding a bike can be seen more clearly by all users at junctions. People who ride bikes are more visible to motorists when waiting in a bike box. This is because they are in front of motorists rather than beside them.
Bike boxes have a green background and a bike symbol. There is a stop line around the border for motor vehicles. White lines delineate the space from neighbouring lanes.
How to use
If there is a bike box, ensure you do the following:
- ride to the front of the traffic queue if the light is red and wait in the bike box. This positioning increases your visibility to adjacent motorists
- ride straight through the intersection or signal and make a turn when the traffic signal turns green
- stay in the bike lane without moving into the bike box, where a bike lane merges into a bike box at an intersection
- give way to:
- anyone already in the bike box
- any vehicle entering the area when there is a green or yellow light.
If you are a motorist using a bike box, ensure you do the following:
- stop behind the first white line (at the rear of the bike box) if the traffic signal is red, you must . This positioning provides you greater visibility of bike riders
- when the traffic signal changes to green, you must give way to people riding bikes who are waiting in the bike box to go straight or to turn left. Before turning left, look for additional bike riders that may be approaching on your side
- if the traffic signal is green, drive through the intersection as normal with caution
- if turning left, always signal, check your blind spot, and give way to bike riders going straight
- in Queensland it is legal for a motorcyclist to enter bike boxes as long as they give way to people riding bikes or other motorcycle riders already there.
You must not ride or drive past the stop line on the road at a red traffic light if a bike box is not marked. If a motorist is stopped at the white stop line at an intersection, bike riders should wait alongside the motorists and not pull out into the intersection to wait in front of motorists.
Benefits
There are many bike box benefits including:
- increases visibility of bike riders to motorists
- helps prevent conflicts between left turning motorists and through travelling riders
- allows people riding bikes to position themselves to turn right at intersections during red lights. This only applies to bike boxes that extend across the entire intersection
- groups riders together to clear an intersection more quickly, which also minimises delays to traffic.
More information
If you would like to ask questions or find out more about bike boxes you can:
- call Council on 07 3403 8888
- email the bike box team
- write to
Brisbane City Council
GPO Box 1434
BRISBANE QLD 4001.