New "protected" bike lanes planned for downtown and Old Strathcona will keep riders separate from vehicles, the city announced Tuesday.

"It's physically separated from vehicles, from parked cars and pedestrians," said Tyler Golly, the city's general supervisor of sustainable transportation.

Cyclists in downtown Edmonton could be riding in designated bike lanes, similar to the cycle track network in Calgary, by summer 2017. (Bike Calgary) "We've consistently heard from Edmontonians that this is the kind of high quality infrastructure they're looking for, whether they drive or ride a bike."

Golly said the decision was made after a year of public consultation.

The city has allocated $4.4 million for the 83rd Avenue bike lane from 111th Street to 99th Street. East of 99th, the city will build a bike boulevard — a shared road where cyclists and pedestrians are given priority over vehicles.

The downtown bike route on 102nd Avenue will be a protected lane that stretches from 96th Street west to the Groat Road bridge. Beyond the bridge, cyclists and pedestrians will share a path, which will run adjacent to the road. The total cost will be about $8.8 million.

"We know that these areas have a lot of demand and there is a lot of interest in making sure people can cycle safely," Golly said.

Various methods can be used to keep the bike lane protected from traffic, he said, including an actual barrier or elevating the bike lane.

The city is hosting further public consultations on April 21 and 23 to finalize the design of the routes.

According to Golly, between 400 and 600 cyclists currently use either 102nd Avenue or 83rd Avenue. Based on research after building bike lanes in other areas of Edmonton, the city estimates those numbers to rise significantly once the routes are completed.

Golly said construction on the lanes is set to start in 2016 and could take between one to two years. Parts of the downtown lane will be built in conjunction with the Valley Line LRT.