Mayor Jyoti Gondek met with Alberta’s Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen, to chat about capital projects, cycling, and the congestion it allegedly causes.

On July 30, Mayor Gondek hosted the closed-door conversation with the minister, which she said revolved around transportation infrastructure and ensuring that Calgarians can seamlessly get to where they need to go.

“That means helping people get to work, run their businesses, and take care of their daily tasks,” said Mayor Gondek. 

“Every investment and decision has to help Calgarians move efficiently and support continued economic growth.”

During the meeting, Mayor Gondek said that she presented Minister Dreeshen with a map of the city that pinpointed precisely where attention needs to be paid.

The 14-item graphic divided the roadwork into three categories: housing, regional neighbours, and economic development. 

“The minister appreciated the clarity and indicated that this would help him very much in the advocacy that he will have to do to the Treasury Board as he develops a three-year capital budget to take to his colleagues,” said Mayor Gondek. 

What prompted the conversation, however, was bike lanes—specifically, Minister Dreeshen’s concerns about the volume of them.

Bike lanes overshadow budget babble

In late June, Minister Dreeshen sent a letter to Mayor Gondek scrutinizing bike lanes being built in place of vehicle lanes on Calgary streets. 

“As our urban populations continue to grow, we need to seriously consider on how to maintain adequate capacity for motor vehicle traffic flow for current and future traffic needs, not reducing capacity,” read the letter. 

Even before that letter, Minister Dreeshen took to social media to address his concern that bike lanes in Edmonton and other places across the province are swallowing up space. 

After their meeting, Mayor Gondek said that Minister Dreeshen made an effort to individualize Calgary from the lump sum of Alberta’s cyclist-friendly municipalities. 

“He said very openly that the two cities are quite different,” she said. 

“He’s happy to see what we are doing here in Calgary.”

Despite inner-city pathways amounting to almost 1000km of land, Mayor Gondek reiterated that lanes specifically developed for biking make up less than one per cent of the city’s road surface. She said that they are designed to keep cyclists safe while not disrupting nearby vehicles. 

“Just as importantly, these bike lanes are not fixed,” said Gondek. 

“If a bike lane is causing any concerns with congestion or parking, our traffic team is open to reviewing and making necessary changes.”

Mayor Gondek said that the city’s planning, development, and infrastructure teams actively review feedback that the public submits in regard in bike lane operations. Like any other mode of transportation, she said that they are not hesitant to make alterations where needed. 

“In speaking with the team, they have indicated that in some sports where people have expressed some challenges, it is possible to explore other solutions,” said Gondek. 

“The team remains open to understanding the best way to do things and to ensure that cyclists are kept safe and that our roads are working in the best way possible.”

Just hours following their conversation, Mayor Gondek referenced how an Ontario court ruled Premier Doug Ford’s attempt to eliminate some Toronto bike lanes was found by the courts as being unconstitutional.

Justice Paul Schabas, writing on his decision on the case, said that the evidence put forth in the case established that the removal of the bike lanes would not reduce congestion or save time, but would instead worsen congestion.

“In this case, the evidence is clear that restoring lanes of motor vehicle traffic by removing the bike lanes, or reconfiguring them so that they are no longer physically separated from cars, will lead to more accidents, injuries and deaths. The government has recognized this, adding the immunity provisions at the same time as the target bike lanes provision.”

“People who cycle as their means of transportation are vulnerable, and more so when riding in mixed traffic. It is reasonable to conclude that people who cycle will be injured and killed when lanes for motor vehicles are installed and protected bike lanes are removed. That impact is grossly disproportionate to the asserted benefit, taken at face value, of saving some drivers of cars a few minutes of travel time.”

Mayor Gondek said that her conversation with Minister Dreeshen concluded with an agreement to balance his preference for roomier roads against the demand for accessible transportation.

“He and I have committed to working together and making sure that we understand each other,” she said. 

“Today was not a meeting of contradiction, it was one of collaboration.”