Cyclists in Toronto are stalling the province’s plan to remove the Bloor Street W. bike lane in Etobicoke by staging a protest that aims to stop the construction from kicking off.
The removal work near Bloor and Islington, which is part of an Ontario government initiative to eliminate bike lanes on three significant Toronto roads, was expected to start Tuesday evening.
However, construction was halted when cyclists at the intersection surrounded the trucks, preventing them from moving shortly after 8 p. m. Organizers stated that their goal was to highlight how taking out these lanes compromises safety for everyone on the road.
As of Wednesday afternoon, several cyclists continued their sit-in at the bike lane in front of a work truck designated for the removal project. Toronto police were also present at the scene.
“The bike lanes are still here,” Michael Longfield, executive director of cycling advocacy group Cycle Toronto, told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning on Wednesday.
“It was quite a moment,” he said, reflecting on Tuesday’s protest.
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Cycle Toronto and its co-applicants announced Tuesday that they will seek permission to appeal to Canada’s Supreme Court against Ontario’s decision to remove bike lanes along three major roads in Toronto. As CBC’s Mercedes Gaztambide reports, advocacy leaders argue this move jeopardizes cyclist safety while the province insists that removing these lanes will help alleviate traffic issues.
The protest began Tuesday afternoon and featured large groups of cyclists, including many children, riding around the intersection before construction was supposed to commence.
When asked about the protest during an unrelated news conference Wednesday, Toronto police Chief Myron Demkiw referred to it as “lawful work that is going to continue.”
Demkiw acknowledged differing views but mentioned that people shouldn’t disrupt lawful activities and assured that police would be ready “to do what we need to do” so work could proceed.
“If you fail to follow our officer’s instructions or interfere with what is lawful activity, you do stand the chance of being charged criminally and being put before the courts,” he said.
Longfield praised those who protested for their commitment, stating hundreds came out in support of their cause. He expressed hope they could keep delaying construction.
“I don’t think we know what tomorrow or even later holds,” he said. “But certainly tonight, I think people are very motivated to go back out again.”
Longfield urged provincial authorities to rethink their decision on removing bike lanes and consider an alternative proposed by Toronto mayor Olivia Chow which suggests adding traffic lanes while keeping protected spaces for cyclists.
Ontario’s transportation minister, Prabmeet Sarkaria, stated that delays caused by protesters won’t alter plans set forth by the province.
“Make no mistake: these bike lanes are coming out,” Sarkaria posted on social media platform X after Tuesday’s demonstration. “We have a clear mandate and we will deliver.”
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A l egal f ight continues
Cycle T oronto i s al so trying t o p ut a stop t o th e province’ s plan t o r emove b ike la nes through an appeal process at th e S upreme C ourt o f C anada. P >
Taking th e issue all th e way u p t o C anada ’s top court would be yet another step i n a long-running legal dispute over a law passed i n 2024 permitting th e province t o eliminate bi ke la nes. Th e province framed thi s action as necessary for reducing congestion. P >
An earli er court ruled tha t replacing 19 kilometres of bi ke la nes with car lan es on three major roads posed un constitutional risks for cyclist safety. However , thi s decision was later overturned by th e O ntario C ourt o f A ppeal i n August , claiming tha t th e original judge overstepped into areas concerning policy-making a nd political matters. P >
Bronwyn R oe , one of th e staff lawyers representing Cycle T oronto alongside environmental law charity E cojustice , explained tha t although their application has been submitted , it won’t affect immediate removals planned by th e province. P >
“It could stop any future work likely scheduled for spring regarding other remaining bike lanes,” she noted.
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