Hundreds of residents living near a new bike lane project in Edmonton are asking the province to intervene. Residents from Delton and Alberta Avenue have joined forces to ask the Alberta government to help them fight changes to their neighbourhoods’ streets. Those changes are part of the City of Edmonton’s plans to expand its active transportation network, including building a protected bike lane on 96 Street from 119 Avenue to 124 Avenue. “I see no absolute need for it, it‘s a waste of money, and it‘s going to disrupt too many people,” said resident Tom Ogonoski. “The only people riding bikes around here are the ones stealing your stuff in the middle of the night,” he added. The area will also see the speed limit lowered to 30 km/h, some street parking eliminated and the installation of traffic calming measures like speed humps, curb extensions and traffic diverters. The group is worried about the impact those changes will have on parking, emergency vehicle access and accessibility for residents with disabilities who rely on street parking. The residents also say they were not consulted about the changes, and they want the province to review Edmonton’s public engagement process and stop construction until “meaningful and thorough engagement” has taken place. “We want the Alberta government to stand up and say, ‘No, no. This is a democracy. This is not something where you can just tread on people and hurt their lives,” said resident Kimberlee Dawn. “We want the Alberta government to override this and to interfere and protect us.” Coun. Ashley Salvador said the city carried out “extensive consultation” on the transportation network plans a few years ago. However, she understands why some residents are upset now construction is about to begin. “I think that‘s some of the tension that we’re experiencing right now, is even though there was consultation and engagement about the plan … when it starts to happen on the ground in our communities, that‘s when a lot of questions can come up and concerns can arise,” Salvador said. Traffic calming measures, also being opposed by the residents, Salvador said are to address concerns from residents over drivers speeding and shortcutting through their neighbourhoods. “When it comes to parking,” she added, “We’ve heard some pretty specific concerns from folks who have accessibility needs and really rely on some of those spaces, and in those instances, we’ve had direct conversations with the project team to make sure that those spaces can be maintained and that those needs can be accommodated.” Coun. Karen Principe, who last month attended a press conference with Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen about opposition to bike lane changes along 132 Avenue, said she understands why residents might be seeking provincial support. “People maybe saw that previously, the minister had a meeting within the ward I represent and they felt that maybe that was an avenue to have their voice heard,” Principe said. The group said it collected 262 signatures from residents in the affected area, with 182 households signing their support and it has submitted a formal petition to the City of Edmonton. But not all residents are on board. “I think that‘s just kind of silly and a waste of effort to be against a bike lane in such a quiet neighbourhood,” Delton resident Catherine Deachman said. “It doesn’t seem like it would impact much, in my opinion.” The minister of municipal affairs declined to comment on the letter. In a statement to CTV News Edmonton on Friday, Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen said the province supports active transportation, but “not at the expense of common sense or community trust.” “We are actively reviewing contentious bike lane and traffic-calming proposals across the province, and we expect municipalities to ensure local voices are heard before moving forward,” Dreeshen said. Work in Delton and Alberta Avenue is expected to begin in the coming weeks. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
