Commonway
Version V. 2026.08.31

Advisory Bike Lane

ELM-ABL-36
Situational / Discouraged Element

Advisory Bike Lane

A dashed-line bike lane marked on each side of a narrow, typically two-way, roadway with no dedicated centerline, where vehicles are expected to cross into the bike lane space temporarily to pass oncoming traffic, yielding to any cyclist present.

Working assessment: this pattern’s status reflects a preliminary Commonway System judgment call, pending final review.

#Why this pattern exists

On a roadway too narrow to accommodate a centerline plus two conventional bike lanes, an advisory bike lane provides a visual cue and priority framework for cyclists while allowing the roadway’s limited width to be shared flexibly by low-volume, low-speed traffic. This pattern exists to document this specific narrow-roadway treatment and its dependence on low traffic conditions to function safely.

#Key considerations

  • Appropriate only on lower-volume, lower-speed roadways where the shared-yielding mechanism can reasonably be expected to work
  • Driver unfamiliarity with the treatment in areas where it is uncommon may require supporting signage or education
  • Not appropriate as traffic volumes or speeds increase beyond the range this pattern depends on

Conventional Bike Lane (ELM-CBL-34) (a related but structurally distinct facility type); relevant Local Segment patterns where roadway width is most constrained

Unsourced claim

Formal citations for this pattern have not yet been compiled from primary sources.

Suggest changes to this page (opens in new tab) Last updated August 31, 2026