The Ford government says it is immediately starting to remove bike lanes along a stretch of Bloor Street West and is moving forward with plans to strip lanes from two other major Toronto arteries. “Following the recent ruling from the Ontario Court of Appeal, the provincial government has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to begin the process of restoring motor vehicle lanes that were previously removed for bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, Queen’s Park, Queen’s Park Crescent and Avenue Road in Toronto,” a news release from the provincial government read. “The province is also immediately beginning to restore motor vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West, starting east of a 600-metre section at Clissold Road where vehicle lanes were restored in December 2025.” According to the province, the RFP will be to study and provide design options for removing bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, Queen’s Park, Queen’s Park Crescent and Avenue Road. “The RFP will also identify options to retain or reconfigure bike lanes, where they make sense and do not make gridlock worse,” the news release read. “To get drivers moving quickly, the vehicle lane restoration process will immediately begin on the west section of Bloor Street West starting at Clissold Road, where minimal design work is required.” Last month, the Court of Appeal for Ontario reversed a lower court ruling, confirming that the removal of bike lanes along the three major arteries is not a violation of Charter rights and can proceed. The Ford government previously passed legislation in 2024 that would allow the government to rip out the bike lanes along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue. But Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas later ruled that the province’s plan violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms because it would “put people at increased risk of harm and death which engages the right to life and security of the person.” On Aug. 14, the Court of Appeal found that “the Ontario legislature is as free to establish bicycle lanes as it is to remove them or authorize their removal.” “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,” Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in a written statement released Tuesday. “We’re keeping our promise. Under Premier Ford’s leadership, we’re getting people and goods moving again and giving commuters back more of their time.” Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has repeatedly spoken out against the province’s decision to scrap bike lanes, telling Ford as recently as last week to keep his attention where it matters most. “I think the premier, his first job is to fight Trump, right?” she said. “Be ‘Captain Canada’ as part of team Canada and work with the prime minister closely and I believe that will be his first priority,” she told reporters at an unrelated news conference on Aug. 24. “Bike lanes are very local. Leave it to the local community to decide. That is what I believe in.” In a statement released Tuesday, Chow reiterated her previous comments about focusing on helping Ontarians during the trade war. “The Province of Ontario and the Minister of Transportation should be laser focused on dealing with Trump and helping workers and families through these uncertain times, not picking endless political fights with the City of Toronto,” Chow said. “I believe strongly in Toronto’s autonomy and right to govern itself.” She added that pitting road users against each other makes “everyone less safe.” “Pedestrians, cyclists and drivers all deserve safety on our roads,” she wrote. “I will keep working to get traffic moving through actions like speeding up construction, hiring more traffic agents and investing in transit, while ensuring all road users are safe, whether they are walking, biking or driving.” With files from CP24 and CTV News Managing Digital Producer Chris Fox
