Bicycle Lanes

Bicycle Lanes　自転車専用レーン

Overview

Kyoto has no bike lanes.

Some streets with wide sidewalks - Horikawa, Nishioji, Kujo, etc. - have bike "lanes" painted onto the sidewalk. The lane itself is in places differentiated from the "pedestrian" area by the color of paving.

Gojo Dori now has the closest thing to a proper lane. From the Kamo River to Horikawa, on both sides of the street, a separate lane has been created for bicycles.

However, repeat, there are no bike lanes in Kyoto, so most rides will be in and among traffic.

Chaos

Kyoto streets are often crowded with vehicular traffic, other cyclists, and pedestrians. Riding on the street - in and among cars, buses, taxis, trucks - can be intimidating at times. It must be said, however, that most drivers are polite, and many have a decent awareness of cyclists.

Moreover, riding on sidewalks is banned. However, precisely because there are no bike-only lanes, many cyclists opt for the sidewalk.

Kyoto Bike Lane

Sidewalks

In many places, therefore, sidewalks have become the de facto bike lanes.

This is not good for many reasons.

First and foremost, it is dangerous for pedestrians. And, to be honest, it is usually much slower and frustrating for the cyclist.

Second, it is amazingly inconsiderate towards pedestrians (we say this as committed bike commuters, committed recreational cyclists). As a friend visiting from France said, "It's war out there" on the sidewalks of Kyoto.

Cyclists routinely ring their bells at pedestrians. It's a minor miracle there are not more accidents and fights.

Need for Bike Lanes

Like rumors of the plan to bring back street cars - light rail - one occasionally hears that the city is planning to install proper bike lanes. Tokyo has already put in a few, Osaka is going to set aside space on Midosuji Street - why not Kyoto?

Why not indeed.

The city's scale, population, and geography are all bike-friendly.

We wait, ever hopeful.

Time for Action

For those with the time, clout, energy, and patience please contact the city's Bicycle Planning Division:

It is a sub-section of the Department of Construction in City Hall.

Kyoto City Hall
Department of Contstruction, Bicycle Planning Division
488, Teramachi-Oike, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8571