Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford is promising to remove bike lanes along a stretch of Bloor Street in Etobicoke that he himself voted for back in 2013, citing congestion and local business concerns. During a press conference Tuesday morning, Bradford advocated for the removal of the bike lanes on Bloor Street West between South Kingsway and Resurrection Road. “In many respects, this is a part of town that has become defined by congestion,” he said. “Let me be crystal clear. When I’m the mayor of Toronto, the bike lanes on Bloor Street West … they’re coming out, and the vehicle lanes are going back in. That’s a commitment." In 2023, city council voted 21-1 to approve bike lanes along the 5.7-kilometre stretch of Bloor Street West between Runnymede Road and Resurrection Road. As part of the overhaul of the street, one lane of traffic was removed in each detection between Runnymede Road and Aberfoyle Crescent. One eastbound lane was also removed between Aberfoyle Crescent and Resurrection Road. Bradford was one of the 21 councillors who voted in favour of the project at the time but suggested on Tuesday that it has since become clear it was the wrong decision. “Folks at the press gallery are going to remind me that I voted for these bike lanes,” he said. “Fair point, I did when they were plans on paper, and that was done with the very best of intentions. It became clear that council, including me, got this one wrong.” The Ford government passed legislation in 2024 that prohibited municipalities from removing lanes of traffic to install new bike lanes without the approval of the province. Since then, Olivia Chow has continued to expand Toronto’s cycling network but has opted to do so by narrowing some existing lanes of traffic rather than removing them outright. In late 2025, Toronto city council approved a cycling network plan aiming to add more than 20 kilometres of additional bike lane infrastructure without removing lanes of traffic. During the press conference, Bradford said that he has heard frustrations from local business owners and residents since the installation of the Bloor Street bike lanes in Etobicoke. He noted that, if elected, he would look to move bicycle infrastructure to residential streets and other corridors. “When we build new bike lanes, they’re going to be on parallel roads and residential side streets, not the main arterials,” he said. “We all agree that this network of trail systems for cycling infrastructure ought to be built, but nobody’s ever done it.” In February 2025, more than 40 Etobicoke businesses filed a lawsuit against the City of Toronto, former Toronto general manager of transportation services Barbara Gray, and current deputy mayor and Etobicoke-Lakeshore Coun. Amber Morley over the Bloor Street bike lanes. Chow, Alexander respond to Bradford’s comments In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for Chow accused Bradford of wanting “to spend millions of tax dollars reversing a decision he championed and voted for repeatedly.” “The Mayor will continue working to get traffic moving through actions like hiring more traffic agents, while ensuring all road users are safe, whether they are walking, biking or driving,” the statement notes. Mayoral candidate Chris Alexander also responded to Bradford’s comments, saying in a statement to CTV News that “the mayor shouldn’t decree where bike lanes go.” “We need an agreed standard for bike lanes in the city, safe, separate from vehicles and pedestrians, with community buy-in, neighbourhood buy-in, to ensure we’re not adding to congestion in the process. Decrees will only worsen the hodgepodge of flawed decisions that we’ve had so far,” he said. “If I’m elected mayor, I will ensure we have these agreed standards in place and a plan for obtaining that community buy-in that works for all of Toronto.” The Ford government previously passed legislation to remove bike lanes along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue, however an Ontario court later found that law to be unconstitutional, putting any plans to remove those bike lanes on hold. Toronto’s municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 26.
