Transportation minister to meet bike lane protesters in Capilano Thursday

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen is meeting with anti-bike lane residents in Edmonton's Capilano neighbourhood Thursday afternoon, one day after Alberta launched an online complaint portal for bike lane feedback.

A bike lane proposed for 50th Street in the east Edmonton neighbourhood was redesigned earlier this month to preserve 30 stalls of street parking after community pushback. The new design will cost an extra $2.5 million.

"Even with all of that political movement, Devin Dreeshen is coming down to 50th street to complain about it still," Bike Edmonton president Keith Heslinga said. "It really feels like someone didn't get their exact way and they have a friend in the province."

Dreeshen said he is gathering feedback to inform legislation coming this fall that would give the province power to review or remove bike lanes. The online form allows residents to rank bike lanes by complaint level.

Bike Edmonton and another pro-bike lane group, Ward Métis Bikes, are organizing a counter-protest Thursday afternoon. They are encouraging supporters to send letters directly to Dreeshen's office rather than complete the provincial form.

City Councillor Jon Morgan, who opposed the 50th Street redesign, said the concessions to bike lane opponents carry real costs. "These are all costs that the taxpayer ultimately has to bear," he said. "That concession to the anti-bike lane folks cost the city an extra $2.5 million at a time when I'm hearing from lots of people about how we want to keep our taxes low."