Alberta government opens bike lane complaint portal amid removal talks

Alberta's government has opened an online portal for residents to report concerns about bike lanes across the province, marking the latest move in an ongoing debate between the province and its two largest cities over cycling infrastructure.

The portal, titled "Report concerns about bike lanes," went live Wednesday. When residents visit, they're asked to enter their location, the bike lane's location, specific concerns from a dropdown menu, and an optional 500-character response. Photos up to 10MB can also be uploaded.

Alberta's Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen said the portal will help consolidate complaints his office has been receiving about routes in Calgary and Edmonton. "This kind of helps focus the concerns with individual bike lanes, so that we can share this information with councils in Edmonton and Calgary to show certain bike lanes that are having negative impacts on businesses, or with seniors, or emergency response times, or traffic congestion," he said.

Dreeshen added that data collected through the portal will inform fall legislation that could allow the province to remove bike lanes already in place. He said he's had difficulty obtaining cycling-specific data from the City of Calgary.

Ward 7 Councillor Myke Atkinson said bike lane decisions should remain a local matter. "It is city council's job to make sure that we are delivering safe, accessible ways for Calgarians to get around, and that is not a provincial something that folks across the province need to weigh in on," Atkinson said. He cited research showing cycling infrastructure helps with congestion, noting that moving people safely by transit, walking, and cycling is more efficient than cars alone.