May 11, 2026 - According to an opinion piece by Rick Bell in the Calgary Herald the province of Alberta is taking aim at bike lanes with new legislation planned for this fall.
Bell speculates that the new anti-bike lane law will be similar to Ontario’s, restricting new bike lanes that affect existing lanes of traffic, while also allowing Alberta to remove current bike lane infrastructure as well.
Leading the charge is Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation for Alberta, who raised concerns in August last year – read more here. As yet, no evidence or documentation has been presented to support the province’s agenda.
According to Bell, “In short, cities will have to justify setting up yet another bike lane.” The new law would look at such things as the negative impacts on vehicle traffic, the number of cyclists using the bike lanes throughout the year, whether the number of bike lane users has grown, the effect of the bike lane on businesses, feedback from the community.
In Ontario, Cycle Toronto won their case against the province’s Bill 212 which attempted to remove 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes in Toronto along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue, claiming their removal would reduce traffic congestion.
The cyclists argued that dismantling protected lanes would breach section 7 of their Charter rights to life, liberty and security, and in July 2025, Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas sided with the cyclists and their pro bono legal team, Eco Justice and Paliare Roland.
Schabas also noted that the government proceeded despite its own advisers and external experts broadly agreeing that it would not accomplish its stated goal of reducing traffic congestion — and could possibly make it worse.
The province appealed and on Jan. 28 the Court of Appeal for Ontario heard the case and the three-judge panel is reviewing the matter with a ruling pending – read more here.
Apparently Dreeshen says it’s high time for “common sense when it comes to bike lanes” and thinks decisions on bike lanes should be based on “cold, hard facts and not emotional arguments.”
In that regard, the Bloor Annex Business Improvement Area (Bloor Annex BIA) says bike lanes are good for business. A statement issued by the Bloor Annex BIA told Premier Doug Ford to back off their bike lanes as they are having a positive impact, adding that removing any bike lanes in the area would be “disastrous to the neighbourhood”.
Read more in the Calgary Herald here.
