TORONTO — Alberta Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen issued a statement on the recent Ontario Appeal Court ruling on bike lanes, which cleared the way for the province to remove bike lanes in Toronto, overturning a lower-court ruling that found the plan created an unconstitutional risk to cyclist safety.
“The decision from Ontario’s Court of Appeal is a win for common sense and for elected governments’ ability to make decisions in the public interest,” he said. “The appeal court made clear that governments have the authority to make and change transportation policy and that there is no constitutional right to a bike lane. Albertans expect their government to make transportation decisions based on what works for our communities. That is exactly what we are doing in Alberta.”
The Ontario Court of Appeal’s ruling says there is no Charter right to bike lanes and the government is free to change or repeal policy choices made by previous governments, even if it goes against expert advice.
The strongly worded ruling says the lower court decision had not only misapplied the law but appeared to overstep by involving itself in policy making and political considerations.
In 2025 Dreeshen called on Alberta’s two major cities to remove bike lanes from key roadways, prompting critics to say the government is overstepping and making an issue out of nothing.
“Our government is developing legislation to make sure transportation infrastructure works for all road users. The Ontario Court of Appeal’s findings will be carefully considered as we finalize our legislation,” he added.
“Albertans elected us to make decisions that put their safety and quality of life first, and that’s exactly what we will continue to do. For too long, transportation decisions have been driven by ideology rather than common sense.
“We need to consider how infrastructure works for everyone who uses our roads.”
- With files from The Canadian Press
