The Ontario government has been given the green light to remove Toronto’s bike lanes on its busiest streets, following a ruling by the region’s top court in favour of the province. The decision, handed down on Friday, overturns a lower court’s ruling that had deemed the removal of bike lanes a violation of constitutional rights. The ruling is a significant win for Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his government, who have long been critical of Toronto’s bike lanes, blaming them for the city’s traffic congestion.
In 2024, the Ford government passed legislation allowing Ontario to axe Toronto’s bike lanes, despite the recent installation of the infrastructure by the municipality. However, the effort to remove the 19km of bike lanes was put on hold after cycling advocacy organisations launched a legal challenge against the province. The challenge was initially successful, with a superior court judge ruling in July 2025 that removing the lanes would be unconstitutional, as it would create a heightened risk of death or injury, violating the right to life and security of the person.
The Ontario Court of Appeal has now reversed that ruling, stating that there is no charter right to bike lanes and the government is free to change legislation on the lanes if it wishes. In their decision, the court of appeal judges wrote that courts cannot find legislation unconstitutional because experts predict the government’s policies will fail. As Justice Huscroft noted, ‘Neither the government nor the legislature is under any obligation to accept policy advice.’ The court’s decision has been met with disappointment from cycling advocacy groups, with Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, saying that bike lanes are essential for keeping not just cyclists, but also pedestrians and drivers safe.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has said that she is working with the province to negotiate a path forward that keeps every road user safe, and there is hope that the municipality may be able to negotiate an alternative with the Ford government that still makes room for cyclists. However, the government has not yet announced when or if it plans to remove the lanes, which is estimated to cost taxpayers an additional C$48m. Internal briefings obtained by the Trillium have also found that bike lane removal would not reduce congestion and could make it worse, with Ontario’s own staff warning that the province may be seen as encroaching on municipal decision-making.
The decision has also raised concerns about the provincial government’s overreach into municipal affairs, with Longfield describing Ford’s targeting of bike lanes as ‘frankly ridiculous’ and a gross overreach of the provincial government into city affairs.
