“We see big increases in Edmonton, which I think is indicative that it is fast-moving, it is making major investments in cycling infrastructure”<\/p>\n
Published Feb 18, 2026<\/p>\n
Last updated Feb 18, 2026<\/span><\/p>\n 7 minute read<\/p>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n According to a new study, Edmonton is leading Canada in the addition of bike lanes at a time when some cities and provinces are slowing or even reversing infrastructure for cyclists.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n <\/span>or<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Over a two-year window, Edmonton has led the country in adding \u201cweighted\u201d kilometres of cycling infrastructure, adding 517 km, more than twice the lanes Calgary added (245), and more than three times the new infrastructure in Toronto (140).<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cEdmonton was certainly one of the fastest developing cities in terms of cycling infrastructure,\u201d said Meghan Winters, a health sciences professor and lead author of the Simon Fraser University study<\/a>, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Since cities track cycling infrastructure in different ways, Winters looked for a national data set that would \u201capples-to-apples\u201d things as much as possible, considering a reliance on volunteer mappers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n She found it with the use of OpenStreetMaps as a data source for consistent comparison.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe see big increases in Edmonton, which I think is indicative that it is fast-moving, it is making major investments in cycling infrastructure, and probably also that there\u2019s some been some active mapping of the cycling infrastructure in Edmonton,\u201d Winters said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWe also see a really connected network along the river. We also see a lot of infrastructure making connections in the downtown core and in neighbourhoods. And it appears that over 2022 to 2024 a lot of infrastructure was put down on the ground,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n The project weighted infrastructure for comfort and safety, which means protected cycling routes that are bike-only paths get weighted more than painted bike lanes along the road.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n It showed nationwide cycling infrastructure grew overall by 3,596 kilometres. Multi-use paths accounted for 2,725 kilometres of new pathways, a 75.8 per cent increase in distance over two years. Multi-use paths are situated next to or away from roadways and are regarded as \u201cmedium comfort\u201d for cyclists.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n One consistent finding across Canadian cities\u00a0is\u00a0that areas with more children and older adults tend to have less cycling infrastructure, Winters said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cTotal distance is one metric, but it\u2019s not necessarily the only consideration \u2014 it\u2019s important to look at the type of infrastructure and who benefits from access,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cOur research has shown that things are improving, but not everyone is feeling those improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Cities that were investing in high-quality, all ages and abilities bicycle infrastructure got extra recognition in the weighted measure of the study.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n There are cities across Canada that had built-out networks before 2022 and were moving slowly from 2022 to 2024.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Others hadn\u2019t done as much building earlier, so they\u2019re making really big investments now, Winters acknowledged.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that could be part of the story in Calgary and Edmonton,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The City of Edmonton is in the lead at a time when nationally there\u2019s an emerging hesitancy over bike infrastructure, even pitting cities against provincial governments.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Winters is in Vancouver, where an intention to remove a section of bike lane didn\u2019t happen because of the city\u2019s budget and the cost of removing the lane.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cSome cities are stalling on building bicycle infrastructure. Some cities are not planning for it. Some cities are stalling on plans that existed, and some cities are talking about pulling things out,\u201d Winters said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cBut all of these are resulting in slower implementation of bicycle infrastructure across the country, and it\u2019s happening in different ways in different cities at different times.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cSome people are just slowing down the planning phases. Some might have had plans in place, but are now pushing those back for budget reasons, or complication reasons. And then some cities are actively talking about removing infrastructure.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Winnipeg, Halifax, and Charlottetown actually dialled down the number of protected lanes, according to the study.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n With Bill 212, the Ontario government sought more control so that cities couldn\u2019t decide to remove motor vehicle lanes without consulting the provincial government.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Ontario declared three major bike-protected routes needed to be removed.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n This went to a court challenge in 2025, a place of contentious debate on legislation that came through the province, not the city.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Cycle Toronto and a University of Toronto student launched a court challenge and won, with the higher court ruling removing those bike lanes would have placed people cycling in harm\u2019s way because the lanes were protecting them as they rode through the city.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n The litigation continues.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cAlberta was watching closely and speaking to that, and Nova Scotia was as well,\u201d Winters said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n As the season for bicycle infrastructure begins in the spring, Winters expects chatter to increase on what to do about bicycle infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not the only example to say that bicycle infrastructure is a political space, and it\u2019s a place where provinces and cities aren\u2019t always aligned, and it\u2019s a place where public opinion is very much at the front,\u201d Winters said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Outrage over bike lanes vacating space previously devoted to vehicle traffic and parking \u2014 in an era where infill projects had been greenlighted to plop eight-unit apartments onto lots where single-family residences previously stood \u2014 prompted some Delton residents to invite Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen to their neck of the woods.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Dreeshen said he was disappointed the city is moving ahead on contracted projects since he had asked for a pause on bike lanes.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n Dreeshen said he hopes new councils in Edmonton and Calgary would \u201csee the light of day\u201d and make sure that bike paths are being designed and built that don\u2019t actually impede road and vehicle traffic and parking, so changes to the Traffic Safety Act wouldn\u2019t be necessary.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n He said the province was eyeballing Ontario Premier Doug Ford\u2019s success in paring back bike lane infrastructure.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has always gotten me is why both Edmonton and Calgary have been adamant to take over driving lanes, parking lanes, roads that have been designed by an engineer to accommodate everybody that lives here. Why remove that? Why would we take that away?\u201d Dreeshen said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Karl Tracksdorf of Bike Edmonton rode up to the meeting on a bike, applauding city administration efforts to make modifications to the design, particularly with regard to disabled parking, and taking the bike lane off a major thoroughfare.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cBy not locating them on major roads, the impact is mitigated, and also it makes for a more pleasant experience for people being able to use the lanes when they\u2019re implemented,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n The Ontario court decision\u2019s a warning to provincial governments not to meddle in municipal matters \u201carbitrarily,\u201d Tracksdorf said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Winters said she has visited Edmonton on a bike in the winter and she admires the dedication of winter cyclists.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cIn Edmonton, there\u2019s a very enthusiastic winter biking community showing what is possible and helping people along on that journey in terms of the equipment that it takes and the ways it can take,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to say that year-round cycling is for everybody, but there is an active group doing that. And what we see in a lot of Canadian cities is that more and more months of the year is there\u2019s times when we can be cycling. There may be some days when it\u2019s too cold, but there\u2019s a lot of other days when it is a reasonable choice to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n The city publishes bike lane user statistics year-round on the YEG Cycle Counters page.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n A look at numbers calculated by the city\u2019s Eco Counters suggests that when it comes to bike lanes and paths, if you build it, they will come \u2014 especially in the warm months.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Automatic counters installed at more than 40 points along city bike lanes and paths suggest warm season cycling participation as measured by cycling trip increments (clicks) counted on city bike lanes and paths has risen steadily over the last three years.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n The trip increments reference each time a bicycle crosses a sensor. The embedded sensors detect the unique signature of bicycles \u2014 either electromagnetic or pressure \u2014 to distinguish them from cars and pedestrians.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Warm months cycle trip clicks were up almost 50 per cent in some instances from 2023.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n At summer peak, the number of cycle trip clicks using bike paths and bike lanes around the city increases from about 80,000 a month to 110,000 a month.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n The same graphs show little change in the number of cycle trips in the coldest months.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Comparing December 2019 to December 2025, the numbers were fairly similar, about 3,000 cycle trips citywide.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n However, overall rider tra\ufb03c during the combined colder months from October to March increased significantly by 43 per cent from 2022 to 2024, said Karen Burgess, a communications adviser with the City of Edmonton\u2019s urban planning and economy branch.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n Article content<\/p>\n Burgess said monitoring the active transportation network indicates that bike and wheeled mobility usage increased by seven per cent from 2022 to 2024.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n \u201cThe increase for annual downtown bicycle counts has increased by more than 15 per cent from 2022 to 2024 (based on six downtown core locations),\u201d she said in an email to Postmedia.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n EcoCounter data shows some variance between usage, with points like High Level Bridge and 83 Avenue between 99 Street and 106 Street getting the heaviest traffic.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n Bookmark our website and support our journalism:<\/strong>Don\u2019t miss the news you need to know \u2014 add EdmontonJournal.com<\/a> and EdmontonSun.com<\/a> to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal<\/a> | The Edmonton Sun.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n Article content<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"bitcoins](\"https:\/\/smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital\/edmontonjournal\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/mg_3147.ej_301396792.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=288&h=216&sig=nTIba60zO28JhXBLi7nHvw\")
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<\/picture>Bitcoins Some not feeling the bike love<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
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<\/picture>Bitcoins Winter cycling a reality?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/section>\n
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