Bike lane debate heats up as Dreeshen argues expansion could hurt traffic flow

Alberta’s transportation minister has launched a review into Calgary’s networks of bikeways—and he has at least one supporter on council.

Alberta’s transportation minister wants Calgary to tap the brakes on any new bike lanes, confirming the province is reviewing the ones that already exist.

Minister Devin Dreeshen’s office tells CTV News “local decisions” like bike lane expansion could hurt traffic flow and increase congestion.

He’s backed by Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean.

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“We spend a tremendous amount of money on bike lanes, and a lot of them are not being utilized,” McLean told CTV News. “That money could go to road maintenance.”

McLean says he’d like the Eighth Avenue bike lane taken out, and wants to see others – including the thoroughfare on 12 Avenue – reviewed.

The province won’t say which lanes its review is focused on.

However, Ward 8 Coun. Courtney Walcott – who has most of the almost 300 kilometres of on-street bikeways and cycle tracks in his area – is pushing back.

City council approved $56 million for new pathways and bikeways in 2023, and Walcott believes the network should be expanded even further.

“It’s just the people who don’t use bikes, they will struggle to imagine that anyone in the city lives differently than they do,” he told CTV News. “Your job is a city councillor is to understand that all different types of people need to call this place home, and all different types of people get around very different ways; we have to accommodate.”

Walcott says he has yet to see solid, pertinent proof that tearing up the bike lanes would alleviate traffic issues.

He says if other councillors are worried about spending, they shouldn’t be in favour of finances going towards destroying existing, relatively new infrastructure.

“If we want to be a city of the next generation, we’ve got to get over this,” Walcott said.

McLean doesn’t see it that way.

He points to a growing number of vehicles on Alberta roads, and says adding even one lane back into specific downtown avenues could make all the difference – especially ahead of the opening Scotia Place, Calgary’s new event centre.

“(The lanes) are taking up a lot of valuable real estate,” he said. “Expensive real estate.”

It’s likely McLean will take the discussion to City Hall on behalf of the province, as municipal roads do not fall under Alberta’s purview.

He says he’s spoken to Dreeshen about the issue recently.

Calgary’s Mayor has also weighed in; earlier this month, Jyoti Gondek invited Dreeshen to meet to discuss urban planning.

They’re scheduled to sit down on July 30.

‘Not up to them’

This spring, Dreeshen sent a letter to Edmonton’s City Hall calling for the cancellation of a multi-year, $95 million project to build multiple bike lanes.

A letter sent to Gondek is less specific, but does claim billions of dollars of new investments into provincial roads could be hurt by new or existing bike lanes.

Walcott argues the decision is not up to the province.

“What’s really being asked for is, for everyone to bow down to an opinion, just because someone doesn’t know how to ride a bike,” Walcott said.

According to the annual TomTom Traffic Index for 2025, Calgary ranks 273rd out of 501 cities when it comes to traffic congestion.

The average congestion level in the city is 23 per cent, which is the amount of time trips are increased by due to excess traffic.

CTV News asked the province what its message to local cyclists is.

It sent a statement passed along to other media outlets:

“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. 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,” it said, in part.

Dreeshen denied an interview request.