Alberta’s transportation minister has asked the City of Calgary to provide detailed information on how bike lanes affect traffic flow, emergency access, and commute times.
Minister Devin Dreeshen confirmed Monday in a statement that the province requested a “Vehicle Traffic Impact Assessment on the effect of bike lane conversions.”
He said the data will help the province better understand the implications of lane removals across Calgary’s road network. Earlier this year, Dreeshen called on Edmonton and Calgary to remove bike lanes from “major corridors,” saying they clash with provincial goals and investments in expanding vehicle roadway networks.
City officials, including Mayor Jeromy Farkas, are signalling a willingness to collaborate.
“At the end of the day, we’re absolutely committed to providing a functioning transportation network that works for every single Calgarian,” Farkas said.
Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt urged caution but emphasized the need to balance provincial concerns with community support.
“I would just hope there is a cautious approach here, where we can work together to find a better outcome based on their concerns, but also based on what we’ve seen is general support in our own community for having bike lanes, especially within the inner city,” Schmidt said.
Ward 8 Coun. Dan McLean, meanwhile, renewed his call for a pause and review of the city’s bike lane program.
“There is a good case to be made that we should do a pause and review on bike lanes to see who’s using them, before we build more,” McLean said.
In a statement, the City of Calgary confirmed the province requested cycling network data ahead of a meeting with the mayor’s office this past summer. Administration provided information on traffic impacts, safety benefits, and usage, and said it will seek clarity on what additional data the province requires.
The city added that much of the information on Calgary’s cycling network is already publicly available on its website.