Toronto’s protected bike lanes on three major downtown corridors are now on borrowed time, after Ontario’s Court of Appeal handed the Ford government a decisive legal win Friday.
What the court decided
A three-judge panel ruled that the province has the legal authority to tear out 19 kilometres of cycling infrastructure along Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue — overturning a 2025 lower-court decision that had blocked the removals on constitutional grounds.
Central to the ruling: judges found no constitutional requirement forcing governments to manage streets in any specific way, and made clear that disagreement from transportation experts or advisors doesn’t automatically make a policy unconstitutional. In the court’s view, elected officials aren’t obligated to follow expert advice when setting transportation policy.
From bill to courtroom
The fight traces back to 2024 legislation giving Ontario the power to strip out the bike lanes. Cycle Toronto and fellow advocacy groups took the province to court, warning that removing protected cycling infrastructure would put riders at greater risk of injury or death.
That argument initially succeeded — in July 2025, Justice Paul Schabas ruled the removals unconstitutional. Friday’s appellate decision wipes that ruling off the books.
Queen’s Park declares victory
For the Ford government, the ruling is vindication of a policy pitched as a fix for GTA gridlock. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria framed it as a win for “common sense” and for the proper separation between elected governments and the courts. Ford kept his own reaction brief, posting on X that “common sense wins.”
Cyclists’ advocates cry foul
Not everyone is celebrating. Cycle Toronto’s Michael Longfield argued the ruling puts lives on the line and pushed back on the notion that bike lanes are driving congestion in the first place.
Notably, evidence disclosed during the litigation suggested provincial officials were aware the removals might do little to ease traffic — and could even increase collisions. The appellate court’s response: none of that matters legally, since governments aren’t bound to act on expert findings.
City hall caught in the middle
At Toronto City Hall, Mayor Olivia Chow says she’s been in talks with the province to find middle ground — restoring capacity for drivers without compromising cyclist safety. Her office insists Chow doesn’t see this as a drivers-versus-cyclists issue.
Her mayoral rival, Brad Bradford, sees it differently. He welcomed the ruling as proof that decisions about Toronto’s roads belong with elected officials and residents, not judges — consistent with his past support for pulling lanes from part of Bloor Street West. Bradford is now pressing Chow to accept the outcome and start coordinating directly with the province.
Chow has hit back, accusing Bradford of enabling provincial overreach, and says her focus remains on negotiating next steps.
What’s left to resolve
With the legal fight now settled in Ontario’s favour, attention shifts from whether the bike lanes come out to when — and how Toronto City Hall chooses to respond once they do.
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