Cycling advocates sent the Alberta government a message on Friday. Well, actually, more like 3,000 of them.
In the latest twist in the Bike Lane Drama™ in Alberta, local cyclists brought around 3,000 postcards to the Alberta legislature in Edmonton. They asked Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen to reconsider proposed legislation that would give the province greater control over municipal bike lanes.
According to the CBC more than 2,000 of the postcards came from Edmonton, with hundreds more submitted by Calgary residents. The cards described why cycling infrastructure matters to residents, according to organizers.
Bike lanes in Alberta
If you’ve been following the bike lane saga, Alberta Edition, it’s all about some proposed legislation–that is similar to some passed laws in Ontario. In 2024, Premier Doug Ford passed some legislation that took power away from municipalities when it comes to decision making about bike lanes. That became a huge legal battle between cycling advocates in Ontario, and Toronto. Ford also wanted to remove some bike lanes on three major corridors.
Of course there’s a car parked in the bike lane in Doug Ford’s video
There was a Charter challenge–won by Cycle Toronto and others. But it was then overturned. Now, the province is looking to go ahead with bike lane removals–but it’s unclear the timeline.
But over in Alberta, Dreeshen has said the proposal would be coming this fall. Just like in Ontario, the legislation would give the province a role in approving new bike lanes and could allow it to remove existing ones. In Ontario, it’s been going on even longer–and as of now, the government seems to be winning.
Feedback from cyclists
CBC spoke to some of the advocates.
Doug Clark, president of Bike Calgary, said the volume of postcards should demonstrate how strongly some residents feel about the issue. It’s not just a few little messages–it’s a lot, showing the scope of cyclists that want the bike lanes to commute safely.
“It’s important that we unite, provincewide,” Clark said.
Organizers also argued that bike lanes are transportation infrastructure rather than simply recreational facilities.
Terry Skidnuk of Edmonton’s Paths for People said the postcards came from people with different reasons for relying on cycling, including students, commuters and people who can’t drive.
The questionable online portal
Dreeshen told the CBC that the province supports cycling infrastructure when it is safe, properly planned and integrated with the wider transportation network.
He also said the government has received complaints about bike lanes and is reviewing feedback from its online portal alongside technical information and municipal data.
But the online portal is also mired in a bit of controversy. Advocates said the portal was supposed to be tailored for feedback on the bike lanes–but it basically catered only to negative comments.
Dreeshen said the province wants a “common-sense” approach that considers population growth, road capacity and access for drivers and emergency services.
The debate is expected to continue when the proposed legislation is introduced this fall.