The Ford government is going ahead with bike lane removal and reconfiguration on some of Toronto’s busiest roads, the province announced Tuesday.
The provincial government will begin “restoring motor vehicle lanes” previously removed to make bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, Queen’s Park, Queen’s Park Crescent and Avenue Road, it said in a news release.
The release says the province has also issued a request for proposals to “study and provide design options” for restoring vehicle lanes along some “sections” of Toronto’s busiest streets. These proposals would look into options for retaining or reconfiguring bike lanes, it says.
“The province is also immediately beginning to restore motor vehicle lanes on Bloor Street W., starting east of a 600-metre section at Clissold Road where vehicle lanes were restored in December 2025,” the release said.
The announcement comes after Ontario’s court of appeal ruled in August that Doug Ford’s government can rip out 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes in Toronto, reversing a lower court decision made in July 2025.
Restoring vehicle lanes stops congestion: minister
Asked about bike lane removals at an unrelated news conference Tuesday, Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria was firm in saying that bike lanes in areas like Bloor Street W. are the reason for gridlock and congestion in the city.
Sarkaria went on to say that he had spoken to “many community members” about the bike lanes. He said their installation has impacted local business and is causing less people to go downtown.
“We need to restore the vehicle lanes to stop the congestion,” he said.
In a separate interview with CBC News on Tuesday, Sarkaria said the 600-metre section the province is looking to “immediately” remove along Bloor Street W. would “require the least amount of work” to bring back car lanes.
Asked how the province will decide to remove or reconfigure the bike lanes it identified, Sarkaria said “the vehicle lane gets the priority.”
“In some circumstances where both could coexist, we’ll consider that and look at that,” he said.
Ontario’s Court of Appeal has ruled the province is free to remove about 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes on Toronto’s Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue. CBC’s Trishla Parekh speaks to Cycle Toronto’s Michael Longfield on what alternate route options could look like.
Asked about safety concerns once the bike lanes are removed, Sarkaria said the rules of the road will still apply to cyclists and drivers.
“We expect, just like the hundreds of thousands of other streets in Ontario where both the vehicles and cyclists can coexist, that that will continue to happen on the streets that we are specifying right now,” he said.
Sarkaria also said secondary streets, such as King Street and College Street, would be better alternatives for the bike lanes the province looks to remove or reconfigure.
Internal documents from the Transportation Ministry that were made public as part of a court challenge to Bill 212 — the legislation that gave the province sweeping control over municipal bike lanes — cast doubt on some of Sarkaria’s statements.
Those documents include a report prepared by engineering and urban planning firm CIMA+, which said collisions for all road users could increase upwards of 54 per cent if bike lanes are removed, based on existing research.
A 2024 briefing note on from the cabinet office committee also said the proposed bike lane removals may not achieve “desired outcomes,” noting current data and research “does not confirm that removing bike lanes that occupy a lane of traffic would significantly alleviate congestion.”
Friday’s decision by a panel of three Court of Appeal judges overturns a ruling in an Ontario court last year that found the province’s plans to remove bike lanes is unconstitutional. Now, as CBC’s Lane Harrison explains, Premier Doug Ford’s government can rip out 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes in Toronto.
Toronto local Mike Field says he uses the bike lanes the Ford government is looking to remove or reconfigure “almost every single day.”
“If there is no lane on Bloor Street, I still have to do my shopping on Bloor Street. I don’t have a car, I can’t afford a car, I certainly don’t want a car in this traffic. So I’m going to be on my bike.” he said.
“If I have to get to Bloor Street, and I’m on my bike, what am I supposed to do?”
Field said he spent years riding along Queen Street — which doesn’t have designated bike lanes — to get downtown when living in the city’s west end and it was a “horrific experience.”
“It’s really impractical to put [bike] lanes on the smaller roads when people need constant access to commercial areas,” he said.
Mayoral candidates weigh in
Bike lanes are already proving to be a contentious issue in Toronto’s upcoming municipal election.
Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford previously vowed to remove the Bloor Street W. bike lanes should he become mayor, despite initially being one of the councillors who voted in favour of them.
Mayor Olivia Chow, who is seeking re-election this fall, issued a statement Tuesday saying the province should be focused on dealing with Trump and helping families and workers, rather than “picking endless political fights with the City of Toronto.”
“I resist any argument that pits road users against each other because it makes everyone less safe. Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers all deserve safety on our roads,” Chow said.
Mayoral candidate Chris Alexander said the province’s actions are evidence of “governance failure” at city hall, and as mayor he’d table a transportation plan that “actually works.”
“A competent city works with the province and designs solutions that have neighbourhood support. Toronto needs to get things right the first time, instead of getting stuck in costly court battles for years,” Alexander said.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner also weighed in on the province’s announcement, calling it “performative politics” that “doesn’t address the root cause of congestion.”
“What we actually need is more dedicated bike and transit lanes and investment in transit that allow for more people to get around more affordably and efficiently,” he said on social media platform X.
