Edmonton mayoral candidate opposes Alberta threat of bike lane legislation

Bike lanes – whether adding new ones or removing existing ones – is municipal jurisdiction and the province should not be getting involved, says Edmonton mayoral candidate and city councillor Andrew Knack.

“I think we have a number of more important priorities to deal with right now, in both the City of Edmonton and the province,” he said. “I’m hearing from people about safety and housing and homelessness. I think we need to develop more of a workplan around that.”

Knack does not support provincial bike lane legislation, following comments made by Alberta’s transportation minister in the aftermath of a court ruling in Ontario.

Minister Devin Dreeshen says Alberta’s two major cities are going the wrong way when it comes to building cycling infrastructure, and he has called on Edmonton and Calgary to remove bike lanes from “major corridors.”

Dreeshen has also said repeatedly the province doesn’t want to see bike lanes built at the expense of lanes for vehicles, calling such moves “not proper or smart city planning.”

“That obviously causes traffic congestion and chaos and it slows down daily commutes and it actually makes their lives worse,” Dreeshen told reporters on Wednesday.

The transportation minister says the Alberta government is looking closely at that Ontario ruling, which found a law seeking to remove some Toronto bike lanes to be unconstitutional because it puts cyclists at a higher risk of injury or death.

Dreeshen says he was not deterred by the ruling, which may be appealed, and has not ruled out Alberta putting forward similar legislation.

“We don’t want to go down that route, but we’ll see if we have to. Right now, we’re having those conversations with both Edmonton and Calgary, identifying bike lanes that obviously don’t make sense,” he added.

But Knack is telling the province to stay in its lane, saying he has a better idea for Dreeshen.

“I’d love to actually invite the minister out for a bike ride with me and others in the community to experience the different types of infrastructure, to experience roads where you don’t have infrastructure,” Knack said. “And that way, it’ll help make sure any decision is as informed as possible.”

RELATED: Calgary mayor, Alberta minister to discuss bike lanes as threats of removal loom

In 2022, Edmonton city council signed off on a $100 million expansion of bike lanes and active infrastructure. But on the streets, the topic is still divisive.

“There’s no way to park because it’s all taken up by bike lanes and how do you clean the streets with the bike lanes? They are getting less wide, less wide,” said Edmonton’s Anita Scheyk.

“I think it also reduces congestion when you have less people driving cars and more people biking around,” Jin Hee said in support of bike lanes. “I think it’s better for the environment and it’s just better for the neighbourhoods.”

Dreeshen says he’s simply sticking up for the 98 per cent of people who drive and don’t bike, promising the province will step in if they deem it necessary.

He says he plans to soon meet with Edmonton city council to discuss bike lanes in the capital city.

–With files from The Canadian Press