Bike lanes in Toronto will not be removed by the province any time soon.
Bill 212, which authorized the removal of bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue, was approved in November 2024. Cycle Toronto filed a Charter challenge to the legislation, requiring the government to provide internal staff advice on the proposed Bill.
Those documents state that “Cycling has been shown to have a positive impact on congestion in North American cities… [and] the net result of bike lane removals could simply be more vehicles queued along already congested streets without significant reductions in travel times.”
Well after the court hearing, Cycle Toronto conducted a survey on Bloor Street West near Brunswick Avenue on June 11, between 5 and 7 p.m. that proved staff advice. Some 930 bikes were counted heading east or west while 832 motor vehicles were observed.
Judge Paul Schabas decided in favour of Cycle Toronto this past April, stating, “I grant an injunction suspending the operation of the Target Bike Lane Removal Provision until the release of my decision on the application.”
Premier Ford appealed that injunction decision, but the Court of Appeal rejected the appeal in mid-July. Only after Judge Schabas issues his decision on the merits of the case — that will probably be months away — can the province ask for leave to appeal, which might take another month or two. If leave is granted, then the appeal will have to be scheduled and that will take another few months. Then more time until that decision is released. And whatever that decision, one can expect a request of leave for a further appeal.
So one can expect there will be no decision on the matter until sometime in mid-2026 or maybe later, just in time for the next municipal election.
The province awarded the contract to remove the bike lanes to engineering firm Stantec. Cycle Toronto sent a petition to Stantec asking it to withdraw. A demonstration was held at Stantec’s office, which was briefly occupied by protestors. Stantec’s reaction was to withdraw from almost the whole contract, deciding it would only provide advice on removing 1.5 kilometres of a bike lane, then end its participation.
The campaign is one of the most successful examples of opposing legislation taking powers away from the city. It would be a good strategy to get Rohit Gupta — of Harrington Place Advisors, appointed by the provincial government to make education decisions in place of our elected school trustees who have been removed — to withdraw.
One never knows what else the province will do to undermine the city. Bill 5, passed in June after a great deal of public opposition, permits the province to establish special economic zones determined by cabinet meeting in private and thus subject to lobbyists pushing their own agendas. The cabinet can exempt the zone from any provincial or municipal laws and regulations, creating lawless areas.
Premier Ford has suggested such a zone might be established to permit tunnelling for Highway 401. His love affair with cars might make him decide to create such a zone to get rid of bike lanes. Sounds far-fetched? Creating lawless areas in Ontario is more far-fetched than anyone could ever have imagined when Premier Ford was re-elected in February.
