Transportation minister says Alberta is 'actively reviewing' bike lanes
Devin Dreeshen, provincial minister of transportation and economic corridors, said the province is reviewing bike lanes that draw concern from residents. He said the reasoning behind the move is to continue Alberta's work to build a "safe, efficient road network."
"Alberta's government supports active transportation, but we're concerned when municipalities use taxpayer dollars to reduce road capacity at a time when our province is investing billions to expand it," said Dreeshen via an emailed statement.
"While we fund major infrastructure projects, like the Deerfoot, to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, some local decisions are moving in the opposite direction removing driving lanes."
When asked, earlier this week, whether the province is planning to review both active and future bike lane projects, and if any current bike lanes are already under review, Dreeshen's office did not reply.
The minister's statement follows a June 27 letter he addressed to Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek where Dreeshen said he was concerned about bike lanes being built at the expense of road capacity, and with how this work affects provincial road capacity.
Gondek's response in a July 3 letter invited Dreeshen to a meeting on how to best support Calgary's transportation needs.
Bike lanes at the expense of vehicle capacity? Alberta minister pens letter with concerns
9 days ago
Duration 1:47
Alberta's transportation minister sent a letter late in June to ask for a meeting with Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek to talk about cycling infrastructure. Bike Calgary, a local cycling advocacy group, hopes Alberta won't follow suit with Ontario, where the Doug Ford government has given itself powers to remove existing bike lanes and require approvals for new projects.
Calgary currently has roughly 290 kilometres of on-street bikeways and cycle tracks. City council approved $56 million for Calgary's network of pathways and bikeways in 2023, and its long-term transportation plan looks to expand the network more throughout the next 60 years, including several ongoing projects to build further bikeway connections around the city.
In April, Dreeshen also voiced opposition to Edmonton's planned bike-lane expansions. He said the province supports bike lanes "when they make sense," but won't support "tax dollars being used to reduce road capacity." In the past, Calgary residents have raised concerns about some of the city's bike lane projects, arguing they add more traffic congestion.
Provincial review lacks clarity, says city councillor
The purpose and process behind a provincial review of bike lanes is unclear, said Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott in an interview with CBC News.
The infrastructure isn't under provincial jurisdiction, and within Calgary's central neighbourhoods, the lanes are far removed from the provincial road network.
"The provincial networks are highways. We're not talking about the Beltline. [From] the Beltline, it takes three different roads to get to a provincial road essentially, in many cases. And none of them will have cycling tracks on them," Walcott said.
When it comes to congestion, Walcott argued research has shown more lanes of traffic doesn't effectively tackle this problem. But alternative modes of transportation like bike lanes and public transit can ease congestion.
Regardless, when Walcott hears complaints from his constituents about bike lanes, typically it has more to do with parking than road capacity. For example, the pathways on 11th Street and 15th Avenue S.W. have drawn complaints for removing parking spaces or interfering with loading zones.
In some cases, Walcott said the city can respond to improve accessibility for all of a pathway's users. But he added that less on-street parking is sometimes a tradeoff the city makes to make space for cyclists, buses or pedestrians.
"That's what it means to share the road a little bit differently," said Walcott.
"These issues seem very beneath the minister."
Walcott added he was frustrated to have conversations around the value of bike lanes, after the recent death of a cyclist.
Calgary police said a man using an electric bike in a designated bike lane on 26th Avenue S.W. in Killarney died after colliding with a dump truck. Walcott noted the collision occurred in an unprotected, painted bike lane that's slated for construction to become a lane separated and protected from cars.
"The reality is [bike lanes are] good for the city, it's good for the health of the individuals using them, it's good for reducing traffic on the road, it's good for the environment, and it's really cost-effective," Walcott said.
Politicized debate
Francisco Alaniz Uribe, an associate professor at the University of Calgary's school of architecture, planning and landscape, said the political nature of urban planning debates has been seen more often in Canada lately, noting a similar ongoing issue in Ontario.
The Ontario government passed a bill last year that allows it to remove major bike lanes in Toronto, despite the city's objections. Under the bill, cities also must now seek provincial approval to install new bike lanes that cut into vehicle traffic.
A temporary injunction in April halted Ontario's plans to remove three Toronto bike lanes until a judge rules on a Charter challenge by cycling advocates. On Wednesday, an Ontario court dismissed the province's attempt to appeal the court order.
Alaniz Uribe said Calgary's approach to creating a cycling network has involved extensive consultation, but that urban planning debates are always highly political because they involve discussing how we use shared spaces in our cities.
Cars have dominated streets for decades, Alaniz Uribe said, adding that urban planning now often involves carving out space for cyclists, wider sidewalks, public transit or more trees, which usually faces pushback.
"We're trying to change a value set where for a long time our value set has been the private automobile. And now, we're trying to get some of that space back for something that is not the automobile," Alaniz Uribe said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
‘May not make it through the end of summer': Canada's duty-free shops struggling amid drop in cross-border travel
A sign for a duty free store at the Canada/U.S. border crossing in Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Que., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes A duty-free shop at a New Brunswick border crossing is shutting down after more than three decades in business, with its owner warning that more closures could follow as Canada's trade tensions with the United States continue to strain cross-border traffic. John Slipp, owner of the Woodstock Duty Free Shop in Belleville, N.B., says he plans to close his store within the next six weeks, citing plummeting sales, a drop in Canadian travellers, and the lack of federal support. 'Canadians are not traveling across the border in anywhere near the numbers they normally would be,' Slipp said in an interview with CTV News Channel on Saturday. 'At the end of last year, we were down 20 per cent from 2019, still climbing out of the COVID hole. Now, we're talking 50, 55 to 60 per cent down versus 2019, which is the benchmark.' While American visitors are welcome, Slipp says his business is heavily dependent on Canadian travellers. 'Canadians are eligible and qualified to shop in a Canadian land border duty-free shop. They are the foundation of our business,' he said. 'And when you remove the tourism season in the summer months, we rely on those Canadians, who are no longer crossing the border.' The Frontier Duty Free Association, which represents 32 duty free stores across Canada, says many of its members have seen revenue drop between 60 and 80 per cent due to a slowdown in cross-border traffic and tourism. In June, the association joined 15 border-town mayors in calling for financial support from Ottawa and the alignment of tax and export rules to match American duty free policies. Slipp says he's spent the past year trying to manage with fewer resources and searching for government help. 'We certainly have been spending less money and trying to manage in a way that would allow us to extend life, if you would, and working with our trade association... to try to get government assistance,' he said, noting that his shop was closed for a year and a half during the pandemic and received some support at the time, under an emergency order, but that assistance has not been renewed. 'We've been asking for the ability to close temporarily and reopen,' he said. 'And for those of us that lease our land from the federal government, we've been looking for assistance, like rent deferral, which they did during the pandemic, but so far, there's been nothing on that front either.' Slipp says unless conditions improve quickly, more shops like his are at risk. 'Unless there is some miracle in the near future, it appears that my business, and I think probably another half a dozen Canadian land border duty-free shops, will not make it to the end of the year,' he said. 'Some of us may not make it through the end of the summer.' With closures looming, he's urging both the federal government and Canadian travellers to take action before it's too late. 'For many Canadians I'm sure they have appreciated the opportunity to receive the service and the tax-free goods, currency exchange, and the opportunity to spend their Canadian money in Canada,' he said. 'You're about to lose that not just at the Woodstock-Houlton border crossing, but at a number of border crossings across the country.' That's why, he says, the time to act is now. 'I would urge Canadians, if you are going to be crossing that border, keep your money in Canada. Spend it at a local Canadian duty free shop (and) help these businesses gain more life.'
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
This trucking association is calling City of Thunder Bay 's designated route a major 'trade barrier'
The Ontario Trucking Association is calling on the province to intervene after Thunder Bay city council approved a new truck route bylaw that will restrict most transport trucks from using Dawson Road and Highway 102. Council passed Bylaw 211-2025 on June 23 to take effect Oct. 1, 2025. Under the new rules, most heavy trucks will be restricted to Highways 61 and 11/17, the Harbour Expressway, Main Street, and Island Drive, unless making a delivery or pickup, or performing another service, in Thunder Bay. Enforcement will fall to the Thunder Bay Police Service. The OTA warns the change will have unintended consequences, especially for Canada's supply chain. "Let's call it $60 million a day of trade, primarily inter-provincial trade, that uses Highway 102. It's been a traditional bypass of the city for a long, long time," said Geoffrey Wood, senior vice-president of policy at the OTA. Wood said the detour will force about 1,300 trucks per day onto Highway 17, adding 7.6 million kilometres of annual truck travel, consuming an additional 3 million litres of diesel and generating nearly 8,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. "The goal from our perspective is to address truck safety everywhere. I think that's critical. We feel this isn't the way to do it," he said. The OTA projects the added volume could result in five to six additional tractor-trailer collisions per year on Highway 17, which has more traffic signals and tighter intersections than Highway 102. Wood said implementing the bylaw in early October is especially concerning, as winter driving conditions typically begin around that time. In a letter to Premier Doug Ford and several cabinet ministers, the OTA urged the province to explore whether the bylaw can be overturned or revised. The association has proposed alternative safety measures, including 24/7 operation of truck inspection stations, automated speed enforcement and joint enforcement efforts involving provincial, municipal and federal agencies. "We don't feel the enactment of this bylaw is the right way to address all the truck safety issues. And we do feel that it will add layers to inter-provincial trade at a time when we are trying to remove them and make our supply chain and our trucking industry as efficient as possible," Wood said. The OTA says the bylaw may also reduce truck drivers' access to essential services in Thunder Bay, including grocery stores, rest stops and hotel parking. "All of which are essential to the operation of the vehicles and critical for them to get the needed rest they're required every day for their hours of service," said Wood. The bylaw has faced opposition from surrounding townships and municipalities. Conmee and Oliver Paipoonge, for example, have said the bylaw would double the number of heavy trucks travelling through their communities. City of Thunder Bay's Response Kayla Dixon, Thunder Bay's commissioner of infrastructure and operations, defended the bylaw, saying it's based on years of public input. "The city recommended the designated truck route to City Council specifically to address concerns of the residents around noise, safety, vibration impacts to houses along Arthur Street and Dawson Road," she said. Dixon said a city-commissioned traffic assessment found that shifting heavy truck traffic onto the Trans-Canada Highway would reduce serious collisions overall, even if there's a projected increase on Highway 11/17. "We did an engineering assessment of existing and proposed conditions with implementation of the designated truck route and found that serious collisions actually are reduced when that is implemented. As the article from OTA implied, there is a projected increase of collisions on Highway 11/17 due to this, but there's also an even greater reduction of collisions on the existing route," she explained. "I can't see this 15-minute delay in truck traffic across the country really being a major impact on inter-provincial trade." She added Highway 11/17 is better suited for heavy trucks, with fewer conflict points, wider lanes and improved turning radius. The OTA says it is asking the province to consider its economic and safety implications before the bylaw comes into effect. Wood said, "It's a democratic process. Eight counsellors voted in favour, five against. From our perspective, truck safety anywhere is critical. Community safety is critical in northern Ontario, and in particular, Thunder Bay. So our focus is on improving truck safety."
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
Windsor-Essex tourism sees varied U.S. support amidst tariffs, local owners say
Social Sharing Canadian travel to the United States has dropped in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats. But what about traffic flowing the other way, from the Detroit area into Windsor-Essex? Some tourism operators say they're as busy as ever with American customers — but that's not the case for others. Walkerville Brewery is located near the Hiram Walker Distillery. Co-owner Mike Brkovich says U.S. customers are visiting his business everyday. "In the last month, we've gotten a lot of Detroit-area biking groups and running groups that have been visiting us," said Brkovich. "We're very surprised at the amount of U.S. visitors we do get." Brkovich says he believes that warmer weather and the brewery's proximity to the casino are factors motivating Americans to cross the river. His issue with tariffs lies within the supply chain: The brewery shifted to Canadian, instead of American, suppliers in an effort to buy Canadian amid tariff threats, which the U.S. President renewed last week. But Brkovich says American customers have shown appreciation and loyalty. "I don't see a lot of this visceral [hatred], of people not getting along," said Brkovich. "Most of the American patrons are complimentary, they're repeat customers, they come here on a weekly basis, they buy our products. So it's been positive. [The tariffs] haven't affected us at all." Glen Bacarro is the owner of Encore Productions which produces the Rum Runners Tour — a local theatrical show that tells the story of Windsor's Prohibition era with costumed characters and a bus tour around the city. Bacarro, donned in a black fedora and a 1920s era costume for the tour, told CBC he feared that job worries related to the tariffs and the economy would deter tourists. But his worries weren't reflected in the tour's sales: All eight Rum Runners Tour dates for this year sold out in less than a month. Given the current tensions, Bacarro says he's received numerous calls from Americans asking if it's OK to take the tour, and he welcomes them with open arms. He says he believes the tour's deep American support is reflective of the close bond between Detroiters and Windsorites. "I think in a weird way, with the American government wanting to annex Canada, it's really lit a fire for everyone who wants to support Canada," said Bacarro. "And it's not just Canadians that want to support Canada, it's the Americans [as well]." American tourism has slowed Not everyone is experiencing this surge in American numbers. Lana Talbot was dumbfounded when she first heard about Trump's tariffs on Canada. "If you're in a place and you're connected [like the U.S. and Canada] ... why would you do that?" Talbot is a historian at Sandwich First Baptist Church, a historic site on Windsor's west end that marked the final stop on the Underground Railroad. The church, which dates back to 1820, hosts tours that explain Windsor's rich Black history. While the church once hosted two to four busloads of American and Canadian tourists per week, Talbot says that's not the case anymore. "I used to have two and three, maybe four bus loads a week. Easily. Easily! But now I don't get any." Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island CEO Gordon Orr says Tourism Windsor has noticed shorter booking windows for travel, noting that tourism is a discretionary expense for many. "When people are worried about their pocketbook, the economy or whether they'll have a job, one of the first expenses of the family budget cut is tourism," said Orr. "That's why a lot of people stay closer to home and try and enjoy their own backyard a little more." Orr says while they're prioritizing increased domestic support in light of the tariffs, Tourism Windsor isn't ignoring the importance of U.S. visitors to the region: Around one third of the more than five million annual tourists to Windsor-Essex are American. "It's too big of a geographic advantage for us, too big of a geographic market to ignore, and we don't want to ignore them," said Orr. "Because of the close proximity and the friendship we've demonstrated [...] marketing is a two-nation destination, and a lot of Americans are still coming over, which is positive news for us in the tourism industry." But Talbot says she thinks of the relationship between Canada and the United States as severed. "Do we still have ties? I don't think we do," she said. Talbot, whose grandmother was American, says she still loves the U.S. but fears cross-border travel. Nonetheless, she wants American visitors to know they are welcome in Canada, believing they may be hesitant to cross the border because of perceived Canadian hostility.
