Southwest bike lane project moves ahead despite resident and cyclist concerns over safety and parking

Some residents in the southwest neighbourhood of Killarney are questioning a city project aimed at improving safety for cyclists and pedestrians.

Construction along 26th Avenue S.W. has begun at an estimated cost of $15.2 million.

The area will soon have protected bike lanes and multi-use pathways on either side of the road, improved intersection accessibility and new street lights.

Devin Dreeshen, Alberta transportation minister, said in 2025 that Calgary and Edmonton city councils need to understand that bike lanes should not take over driving lanes.

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The motivation behind this idea came during the Ontario provincial government’s legal battle regarding the constitutional obligation to regulate the use of roads in any particular manner.

At the time, an Ontario judge ruled the law would be unconstitutional and lead to increased risks of harm or death. Three appeal court judges ruled Friday that this law has no constitutional obligations and the Ford government can remove bike lanes as they see fit.

But Killarney resident Bob Berry, an avid cyclist, doesn’t see the need for the project on 26th Avenue S.W.

“I’ve seen it happening in other parts of the town, and I’m fed up with it,” said Berry. “I see no statistics, nothing that says this stuff should be done.

“And I think there’s a group down there (at city hall) that’s just going street to street and doing it because they want to.”

Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said in 2025 that Calgary and Edmonton city councils cannot allow bike lanes to take over driving lanes .

In 2026, Dreeshen has repeatedly said he’s interested in introducing new legislation in the fall to remove existing bike lanes and prevent new ones from being built.

Cyclists have recently been raising concerns about the province’s new online portal to submit complaints about bike lanes. The portal offers the option to submit a concern about an individual bike lane, but there are no positive options offered.