Council Gives Green Light: Edmonton Bike Park Approved 11–2 🎉

Today Edmonton City Council voted 11–2 to approve the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Site Location Study (SLS) for the Queen Elizabeth Park Integrated Bike Skills Park—better known as the Edmonton Bike Park. This milestone clears the last major regulatory hurdle and officially moves the project from “dream” to “go.”

A Win 20 Years in the Making

What started as a “wouldn’t-it-be-cool” conversation on the trails back in the early 2000s has grown into a fully funded, city-endorsed community asset.

Along the way we:

• Secured $1.235 million in combined provincial, municipal and private funding— including the $407 k RPFIP grant from the City and a matching CFEP grant from the Province.

• Rallied thousands of letters, emails and in-person delegations in support of safe, progressive cycling infrastructure.

• Worked side-by-side with Indigenous partners, biologists and urban foresters to ensure the park enhances river-valley ecology through new plantings, wildlife monitoring and respectful interpretive elements.

• Maintained an unwavering volunteer spirit—rain, snow or mosquito season—because Edmonton’s riders don’t quit.

  
  

What Council Approved

The vote endorses both the EIA and SLS, confirming the park’s location just east of the Walterdale Bridge inside Queen Elizabeth Park and locking in design parameters that protect sensitive habitat while delivering:

Zone	Highlights
Flow Trails	Hand-built berms & rollers for every skill level
Skills Area	Progression features from skinnies to drops
Asphalt Pump Track	All-wheels welcome—bikes, boards, chairs
Dirt Jump Zone	Tabletops and step-ups with safe ride-arounds

Next Up

1. Detailed Design & Procurement – Final engineering, geo-tech, and tendering start immediately.

2. Site Prep – Selective vegetation clearing and erosion controls begin late summer once permits are stamped.

3. Ground-Breaking – Major earthworks are targeted for the 2025 construction season, with phased openings to follow as each zone is completed.

   
   

We’ll publish construction timelines and trail-closure notices as soon as they’re confirmed.

Thank You, Edmonton ❤️

This win belongs to every rider who emailed council, every volunteer who swung a Pulaski, every donor who opened a wallet, and every city staffer who pored over binders of environmental data to get the details right.

Special shout-outs to:

• Our Indigenous Knowledge Holders who continue to guide cultural interpretation.

• Provincial & Municipal Funders for recognizing the economic and social return on this investment.

• Community Partners & Sponsors whose financial and in-kind support bridge the gap between “approved” and “awesome.”

  
  

How You Can Keep the Momentum Rolling

• Subscribe to our build-update newsletter on the EMBA website

• Volunteer for upcoming vegetation-trimming and site-prep days—details will hit your inbox soon.

• Share the News: Use the social-share buttons below and tag @edm.bikepark so we can amplify your stoke.

• Donate: Extra funds now go straight to future programming—think youth camps, adaptive-rider clinics and trail-etiquette signage.

  
  

Let’s Ride!

Council’s thumbs-up means shovels are next. Stick with us as we turn years of planning into Edmonton’s premier, free-to-ride bike park.

See you on the dirt—Matt & Josh and the entire EMBA Bike Park crew