McLean seeks pause on Calgary bike lanes as province prepares new restrictions

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean is asking Calgary to temporarily halt planned bike-lane projects that would remove vehicle lanes or on-street parking while the city waits for new provincial legislation. His notice of motion is scheduled to go to Executive Committee on Oct. 5 and would redirect attention toward pathway gaps, school connections, sidewalks and other active-transportation improvements that do not reduce roadway capacity or parking. McLean says his concern is financial rather than ideological: he does not oppose bike lanes generally, but argues the City risks spending money on projects the province may later prohibit or force Calgary to remove.

The motion comes as Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen gathers public complaints about municipal bike lanes and signals that future provincial rules could restrict projects that remove traffic lanes. McLean has pointed specifically to the planned 26 Avenue S.W. bikeway as the kind of project that could run into future provincial restrictions because of its effect on parking. His proposal would keep other pathway and pedestrian work moving while administration identifies which planned projects might be affected by legislation and reports publicly on the potential consequences.

Ward 8 Coun. Nathan Schmidt is pushing back, arguing Calgary should make transportation decisions based on local planning, public engagement and council votes rather than trying to anticipate legislation that has not yet been introduced. Schmidt says pausing projects already underway could itself waste money and would effectively allow the province to shape municipal policy before formally changing the law. The dispute sets up another test of Calgary’s relationship with the provincial government: whether council should adapt early to Edmonton’s stated direction or continue implementing approved projects until Alberta actually changes the rules.