Court blocks Premier Ford’s plan to remove Toronto bike lanes—for now
Cyclists hail ruling as a victory for safety and common sense
Cycling advocates are celebrating a legal win after an Ontario court ruled against Premier Doug Ford’s attempt to rip up three major bike lanes in downtown Toronto.
The province had appealed a temporary injunction blocking the removal of lanes along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue. However, the court dismissed that appeal on Tuesday. The injunction will remain in place until a broader legal challenge is heard.
The ongoing war on bike lanes in Ontario
Since November 2024, the province has argued the lanes are to blame for traffic congestion A Spokespersons for the government says it will continue behind-the-scenes work to prepare for their removal. But cycling advocates say that narrative doesn’t reflect reality.
“When you actually look at the data, bike lanes aren’t responsible for traffic or congestion,” Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, the group leading the Charter challenge, said to the CBC. “They give people more transportation options. They make it safer.”
New York cops shift enforcement on cyclists: Criminal citations instead of tickets
Cycle Toronto contends that the legislation enabling the lane removals is arbitrary and endangers lives—a claim now under judicial review.
The province maintains it was elected with a mandate to restore driving lanes. “While we respect the court’s decision, our government was elected with a clear mandate to get people out of traffic,” Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Dakota Brasier said in a statement to The Canadian Press.
Cyclists say that logic doesn’t hold up. Shervan Vafa, speaking to CBC while riding near Queen’s Park, called the plan “the wrong solution” and noted that friends of his have been injured on streets without bike lanes.
Etobicoke resident Angelique Moss, who’s ridden in Toronto for a decade, called the removals a “waste of taxpayer dollars.” “I would never take Bloor before. Now I can. It connects the city,” she told the CBC.
Longfield says he hopes the Ford government will shift focus to transit and collaborate with cities to ease congestion more constructively.