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| Alberta transportation minister wants bike lanes gone, critics say stay in your lane | https://www.thespec.com/news/canada/alberta-transportation-minister-wants-bike-lanes-gone-critics-say-stay-in-your-lane/article_4d04adc9-b82e-599d-8d33-29c753932b7c.html |
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2025-04-17 | 2025-05-10 | EDMONTON - Alberta's transportation minister is calling on the province's two major cities to remove bike lanes from key roadways, prompting critics to say the government is overstepping and making |
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Alberta transportation minister wants bike lanes gone, critics say stay in your lane
Alberta MLA Devin Dreeshen arrives at the United Conservative caucus, in Calgary, Alta., Thursday, May 19, 2022. Dreeshen is asking the city of Edmonton to cancel an ongoing bike lane project, saying the city should be working to increase vehicle capacity rather than reduce it. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
EDMONTON - Alberta’s transportation minister is calling on the province’s two major cities to remove bike lanes from key roadways, prompting critics to say the government is overstepping and making an issue out of nothing.
Devin Dreeshen says he’s trying to avoid clashes with the government’s goal of expanding road networks, as he blames bike lanes for traffic congestion and obstructing work to build the infrastructure needed for Alberta’s growing population.
“When we are putting money towards projects to add and expand lanes to help accommodate the growth pressures that we’ve seen here in the province, we want to make sure that municipalities are doing the same thing,” the minister said in an interview Thursday.
“When we see that municipalities are doing the opposite and are reducing and eliminating driving lanes for bike lanes, that obviously has the opposite effect of being able to accommodate for traffic growth across our two major cities.”
Dreeshen wrote in the letter that the project will have a negative impact on the “provincial road network,” as it comes at the expense of two lanes of vehicle traffic. Construction began two years ago to repave the road and replace sidewalks, curbs and street lights.
While the province didn’t contribute any dollars to the nearly $96-million project, Dreeshen said the United Conservative Party government should have a say because it provides funding for other municipal roads.
Dreeshen, in the video, also said bike lanes in the cities aren’t being used enough to justify the cost and are taking up space meant for drivers, buses and emergency vehicles.
Dreeshen couldn’t provide examples of which bike lanes or projects in Calgary he’d like to see removed or cancelled. But he said there are four other bike lanes in Edmonton that fit the bill — two in the downtown core, and lanes west and north of downtown.
“At the end of the day, the goal is to make life better and to make sure that people spend less time in traffic and more time at home doing the things that they love.”
Ontario’s law, passed last year, also gave it the power to order municipalities to remove bike lanes and reinstall traffic lanes. A Charter challenge has been launched against parts of the bill.
NDP municipal affairs critic Kyle Kasawski agreed, saying the province is making an issue out of nothing and overstepping its jurisdiction.
“We all pay property taxes. We all pay for this infrastructure. It’s really only fair and equitable that everyone has access to get around the city in the way of their choosing.”