Transportation minister to meet with bike lane protesters after online complaint portal launch

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen will be meeting with anti-bike lane protestors in Edmonton’s Capilano neighbourhood this afternoon, one day after launching a bike lane complaint portal.

Transportation minister to meet with bike lane protesters after online complaint portal launch Devin Dreeshen says he’s gathering feedback in preparation for bike lane legislation this fall Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen is expected to meet with anti-bike lane protesters in Edmonton’s Capilano neighbourhood Thursday afternoon, one day after the province launched a bike lane complaint portal. A bike lane proposed to go along 50th Street in the east Edmonton neighbourhood was redesigned to preserve 30 stalls of street parking after pushback earlier this month. The new design will cost an extra $2.5 million.

But some counter-protesters say those changes didn’t seem to satisfy everyone. “Even with all of that political movement, Devin Dreeshen is coming down to 50th street to complain about it still,” Bike Edmonton president Keith Heslinga said in an interview on Edmonton AM Thursday. “It really feels like someone didn't get their exact way and they have a friend in the province.”

Edmonton city council considering options after residents say 50th Street bike lanes pose problems Edmonton council votes to keep parking while building bike lanes along 50th Street Heslinga will be attending the counter protest in Capilano this afternoon, organized by another pro-bike lane group Ward Métis Bikes. The group is also telling bike lane supporters to send a letter to Dreeshen’s office, rather than fill out the provincial form, which provides users a list of issues they have with bike lanes to select from. Dreeshen said in an interview Wednesday that he’s gathering feedback to inform a bill coming this fall that would give the province the power to review or remove bike lanes.

That form will allow them to rank the bike lanes with the most complaints, he said. Similar to his planned visit today, Dreeshen met with residents resisting a bike lane in Delton last summer. Alberta government takes aim at bike lanes, with legislation expected this fall Provincial pressure mounts as Edmonton mayor vows to push forward with bike lanes Coun.

Jon Morgan didn’t support the 50th Street redesign, and said concessions to the existing bike network plan have real financial consequences. “These are all costs that the taxpayer ultimately has to bear,” he said. “That concession to the anti-bike lane folks cost the city an extra $2.5 million at a time when I'm hearing from lots of people about how we want to keep our taxes low.”

Morgan said the city has real traffic congestion problems like 41st Avenue SW in his ward, which needs to be twinned. “I would encourage if Minister Dreeshen and the rest of the provincial government want to help out Edmonton with moving people, I would start with that.” Premier Danielle Smith was asked about the bike lane portal at an unrelated news conference in Red Deer yesterday.

She said there are plenty of well-used bike lanes that are supported by communities, and then there are others that are “barely used” and create disruption. “We want to make sure that bike lanes are well planned, they're going to be well used and they're not going to interfere with traffic flow.”