Alberta’s transportation minister said he supports “well-planned bike lanes,” but doesn’t want them compromising road capacity.

The Government of Alberta asked the City of Calgary for Vehicle Traffic Impact Assessments on the effect of bike lane conversions earlier this year, looking at traffic volumes, travel times and overall road capacity.

Late last week, a Postmedia column from Rick Bell suggested that  Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen had asked for and didn’t receive bike lane statistics.

When asked about not receiving the data from the City of Calgary, and if the province expects to remove Calgary’s bike lanes if they don’t provide supportive data, the Minister provided a statement on the matter.  

He said that major road corridors in Calgary move tens of thousands of vehicles per day, and with 400,000 more Albertans – many of them in Calgary – that efficient travel has never been more vital.

“Alberta’s government supports well-planned bike lanes when they are properly integrated and don’t compromise road capacity,” read a statement attributed to Minister Dreeshen.

He said that the goal is to make transportation decisions that are backed by real data. That’s what he asked for from the City.

“This information helps us understand how lane removals impact emergency access, commute times for families, and goods movement for local businesses,” he said.

The City acknowledge the province’s request for cycling data ahead of a meeting with Mayor Gondek this past summer. The said a data package was prepared which included information on impacts, safety, benefits and use.

They said they will be seeking clarification on the additional data the province requires.

“The City is committed to operating and monitoring a safe, efficient, and affordable network.  Our cycling data, including daily counts, is publicly available and can be viewed at: www.calgary.ca/bikedata,” read a statement from the City of Calgary.

City will show its work: Mayor Farkas

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas told media on Monday that he’s committed to providing a transportation network that serves all Calgarians, regardless of the mode of travel.

“That includes commuting by car. It includes active modes like walking or cycling, as well as transit,” he said.

“At the end of the day, no matter how you choose to get around or you have to get around, you deserve quality, safe and affordable options.”

Still, the mayor said he had no problem showing the province the data that backs why they make their transportation decisions.

“As it stands today, the city publishes all of the information in terms of how many cars use a certain intersection, how many bikes use a certain bike lane, and I’m very happy to assist with the minister’s request to make sure that all of that information is out in the open so that we can continue to make the needed investments, not just in automobile commuting, but also in transit, walking, cycling – a complete transportation network that serves everybody,” Farkas said.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean said that he thinks there’s a good case to be made to pause and review Calgary’s mobility strategy related to bike lanes.

“Let’s see who’s using them before we build more,” he said.

“We know there’s lots of bike lanes that aren’t being used. When you see the weather on a day like today, and people are falling down on the sidewalks or crashing their cars because the roads are not clear, but the bike lanes are priorities.”

Ward 8 Coun. Nathan Schmidt said that regardless of what’s sent to the Alberta government, they’re going to do what they want to do.

“However, I think that more transportation options gives Calgarians more choice to travel the way they want to, safely and effectively,” he said.  

“So, I would just hope there’s a cautious approach here, where we can work together to find a better outcome based on their concerns, but also based on what we’ve seen is general support in our own community for having bike lanes, especially in the inner city, where people get around more than just with their vehicle.”

The City of Calgary said they conduct ongoing monitoring of the cycling network and makes changes as needed.

“We are constantly monitoring and improving our system, for safety, improved traffic reliability, connection, and other factors.”

Minister Dreeshen said he appreciates Mayor Farkas’s willingness to collaborate, and he looks forward to further conversations.

“We want data-driven decisions that make sense for Calgary,” he said.  

“That means solutions that support cycling, but don’t slow everyone else down or reduce access on key commuter routes.”