‘Stay in your lane’: Edmonton cyclists roll through meeting with UCP minister over bike lanes

Some determined Edmonton cyclists made their voices heard Thursday afternoon as Alberta’s bike lane debate continued. What was intended to be a private meeting and neighbourhood tour with Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen and Capilano residents was briefly disrupted when a group of cyclists blocked a street while chanting, “Bike lanes save lives” and “Stay [...] The post ‘Stay in your lane’: Edmonton cyclists roll through meeting with UCP minister over bike lanes appeared first on CityNews Edmonton .

Some determined Edmonton cyclists made their voices heard Thursday afternoon as Alberta’s bike lane debate continued. What was intended to be a private meeting and neighbourhood tour with Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen and Capilano residents was briefly disrupted when a group of cyclists blocked a street while chanting, “Bike lanes save lives” and “Stay in your lane.” People on both sides of the issue shouted back and forth, with many debating the future of bike lanes in Edmonton.

After the demonstration, the cyclists moved on, riding the wrong way down one-way 50A Street. The protest comes amid an ongoing debate over bike lanes in east Edmonton. Last week, residents living along several blocks of 50 Street voiced concerns about a proposed bike lane that would eliminate on-street parking.

City council and the area’s councillor later agreed to revise the project to preserve parking while still including a bike lane. One resident affected by the proposal called the revised plan a compromise and a win-win. However, one woman who helped organize Thursday’s counter-protest said she disagrees with the compromise, arguing it could end up costing the city more.

“I don’t agree that public roads should be used as storage spaces for personal property. All of the people who live on that street also have garages and driveways where they can park their cars,” said Olivia Menard of Ward Métis Bikes and a cycling advocate. “We deserve to get around safely as well.

Freedom comes in all forms. People should have the choice and ability to choose the way they get around our cities.” The resident who invited Dreeshen to the neighbourhood said he supports bike lanes, but only where they make sense.

“We have infrastructure in this city that can be optimized that is not being optimized. We need to be able to maintain the infrastructure that we have before we start adding new infrastructure.” The UCP government continues to examine the issue.

On Wednesday, it launched an online portal inviting Albertans to provide feedback — both positive and negative — about bike lanes in cities and towns, as well as identify areas they believe are problematic. Dreeshen told reporters the feedback will help inform legislative decisions, with a bill expected to be introduced this fall. He pointed to bike paths in river valleys and green spaces as “good examples” of bike lane infrastructure.

“Where you have a bad example of a bike lane is where you have an existing road network or parking, and you are cannibalizing that, taking it away and putting in a bike lane,” said Dreeshen. Menard responded by criticizing the minister’s involvement in the municipal issue. “If Dreeshen really cares about the City of Edmonton, he is welcome to move here and run for city council,” she said.

Berry said he hopes for more civil discourse on the issue, adding that he does not see bike lanes as a partisan matter. “It’s about having the right infrastructure in the right place.” The post ‘Stay in your lane’: Edmonton cyclists roll through meeting with UCP minister over bike lanes appeared first on CityNews Edmonton .