Candidates are split in their responses to Taproot's candidate survey on the question about which action they would most likely advocate for on bike lanes. Some suggest Edmonton should stay the course and expand the active transportation network, while others suggest it should build less infrastructure than is planned.
Twenty-five candidates for mayor and council answered this question by saying they would advocate to Build only what has already been planned if they are elected. The current council voted to spend $100 million over four years in the 2023-2026 budget to expand the active transportation network. Since the 2023 decision, the city has built roughly 30 kilometres of bike lanes, with a further 31 kilometres planned for 2026. Candidates who said they would keep the plan include mayoral hopefuls Andrew Knack, Michael Walters, Abdul Malik Chukwudi, Olney Tugwell, and Tim Cartmell. He added context to his survey answer: "Bike lanes are needed, but we aren't integrating them thoughtfully with community at the table and that needs to change."
Meanwhile, 29 candidates said that, if elected, they would advocate for Edmonton to Build less than is planned. That includes mayoral candidates Rahim Jaffer, Tony Caterina, Omar Mohammad, Vanessa Denman, and Andy Andrzej Gudanowski. No incumbent candidates chose this option.
Only eight candidates said that, if elected, they would advocate for the city to Build more than is planned. Four of those are incumbent candidates: Anne Stevenson, Michael Janz, Erin Rutherford, and Jo-Anne Wright, each said they would push for more bike lanes than currently planned if returned to council.
Three candidates — mayoral candidate Paul Bakhmut, Ward Nakota Isga candidate Reed Clarke, and Ward Métis candidate Abdulhakim Dalel — indicated they have no position on bike lane expansion. Ward Sspomitapi candidate Steve van Diest skipped the question.
As of this writing, 28 candidates for council and mayor have not yet completed the survey.
Bike lanes are usually contentious, but the discussion reached a fever pitch earlier this year when Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen visited Edmonton and said he's actively reviewing bike lanes that some residents are opposed to.
At least 150 respondents told Taproot that active transportation infrastructure, like bike lanes and multi-use pathways, is a top election issue. While some said they were against bike lanes, most said they support adding and maintaining safe active transportation options. Some wanted the infrastructure to feature better design and connections to other areas. Many suggested active transportation is interconnected with other city concerns, like transit, infill housing, and sprawl. Several specifically said they were concerned that the provincial government would interfere with the city's decisions on bike lanes. Others said they want to see data that proves that bike lanes are needed.
For more on Edmonton's 2025 municipal election — from where candidates stand to voting info — visit edmonton.taproot.vote. There you can complete the Taproot Edmonton Survey and see which candidates for mayor and council in your ward align with your views.