Ontario to begin removing bike lanes on Toronto's Bloor Street West next week
The work on a 1.2-kilometre stretch in Etobicoke follows a court ruling allowing the province to proceed over the city's objections.
Explainer
Ontario will begin removing protected bike lanes from a 1.2-kilometre stretch of Bloor Street West in Etobicoke on Tuesday.
Dakota Brasier, spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, confirmed the start date in an email on Thursday.
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"Following the ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal, the province announced in September that it would immediately begin restoring motor vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West. That work begins Tuesday," Brasier said.
What is the province planning to do?
The work will occur on Bloor Street West between Clissold Road and Royal York Road.
A ministry notice says crews will remove existing pavement markings and pre-cast concrete curbs and install new markings and signs to restore an additional vehicle lane in each direction.
Crews are expected to work primarily at night to reduce traffic impact, but may also work during the day depending on conditions.
The work, which may cause traffic delays, is expected to be finished in November.
The notice says access to businesses, properties, sidewalks and for emergencies will be maintained.
Why is the city of Toronto opposed?
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said Thursday that the removal is "completely unacceptable" and an affront to the city by Premier Doug Ford.
"It is outrageous. He's overstepping," Chow said.
"That is trampling on local democracy, the right of Torontonians through their municipal government to have a say over the municipal affairs of this city."
She said cyclists need to be protected and safe.
If re-elected mayor, Chow said she will mobilize efforts against the removal. "I will do everything I can. I will bring residents and citizens together. We will work together and we will fight back."
What was the court ruling that allowed this?
The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in August that the provincial government could proceed with removing 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes in Toronto.
That decision reversed a lower-court ruling from July 2025 that had blocked the province's plan.
The Appeal Court found the earlier judgment had effectively created a right to bike lanes where none existed.
What do other local politicians and advocates say?
Rival mayoral candidate Coun. Brad Bradford said bike lanes need to be removed if they are not working.
"I ride more bikes than anyone who has ever been elected to Toronto City Council for sure... But I also am going to be pragmatic and recognize when some of the bike lanes aren't working like they should," Bradford said.
He cited the section in Etobicoke, stating it has 38,490 cars per day and 197 bikes. "So you allocated 50 per cent of the space to half a percentage of road users and that doesn't work."
Bradford said some other bike lanes in the city are working, and that big cities need bike infrastructure. "But we also have to build trust with Torontonians to recognize if it's not working, we can fix it."
Michael Longfield, executive director of cycling advocacy group CycleTO, said the organization is "outraged but not surprised."
"Ripping out these protected bike lanes against the will of Toronto city council is a colossal waste of $48 million," Longfield said. "The province’s own experts know it will not ease traffic congestion, it will put people’s lives at risk."
What has the province said about its plan?
In a Sept. 1 news release, Sarkaria said the government is committed to tackling traffic congestion.
"Our government was given a clear and direct mandate by the people of Ontario to fight gridlock, including by restoring motor vehicle lanes that are needed to keep drivers moving. We’re keeping our promise," Sarkaria said.
Last month the province put out a bid request to study and design options to restore vehicle traffic on bike lane sections of the affected roads, and said the successful bidder will also be expected to look for ways to retain or reconfigure bike lanes, "where they make sense and do not make gridlock worse."
In December 2025, the province completed work to restore a vehicle lane and maintain a bike lane on a 600-metre section of Bloor Street W. from Resurrection Road to Clissold Road.
With files from The Globe and Mail and CBC News