Alberta’s bike lane discussion might be coming to Edmonton

A court ruling in Ontario barring the government from removing bike lanes isn't stopping Alberta's from trying the same thing. Jeremy Thompson has more.

As Alberta takes notes from Ontario’s battle over bike lanes, Edmonton and Calgary are poised to be the centre of a similar debate in the foreseeable future.

The Ontario Superior Court ruled on Wednesday against provincial interference in Toronto bike lanes, deeming a new law that would have removed three lanes as “unconstitutional.”

The Ontario government subsequently announced their decision to appeal that ruling.

Now, Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen is watching results unfold as a guide for how the province might also rule on municipal bike lanes.

Dreeshen met with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of the province intervening in municipal bike lane projects that it may take issue with.

“Obviously, we don’t want to go down that route, but we’ll see if we have to,” Dreeshen said at a press conference.

He said that while biking is a “fantastic” way to get around the community, bike lanes should not take over driving lanes at the risk of causing “traffic congestion and chaos.”

“There was a commitment from Gondek to be able to work more collaboratively with the province to make sure that bike routes are independent from any road network,” Dreeshen said.

“If a bike lane is causing any concerns with congestion or parking, our traffic team is open to reviewing and making any necessary changes,” said Gondek.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi’s office told CTV News Edmonton that as of Wednesday, Sohi hadn’t been approached by the provincial government about bike lanes.

Sohi said bike lanes offer a “safe” and “sustainable” choice for moving around the city.

“We continue to see support for these choices,” Sohi said.

Dreeshen made it clear that Edmonton’s city council was next on the list for discussion.

“Obviously, we hope that both Edmonton and Calgary, their city councils will understand that bike lanes should not take over driving lanes,” Dreeshen said.

The path so far

Natalie Lazurko, director of transportation planning and design with the City of Edmonton, said in a statement emailed to CTV News Edmonton that as of right now, “the city will continue to engage with the provincial government.”

“Any recourse would depend on the approach and direction, if any, provided by the provincial government,” Lazurko said.

In 2022, city council approved the expansion of Edmonton’s active transportation network and was allocated $100 million to do so.

Since construction began in 2024, Lazurko said approximately 40 kilometres of “new network connections” have been created in the city.

She said the work that should be done by the end of 2025 would complete about half of the network laid out in the city’s bike plan.

Any residents who are unhappy with a bike lane project in the area can email the city at [e-mail] or reach out to their city councillor.

More information on current bike infrastructure projects in the city can be found on the city’s website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson