Cycling advocates seek injunction to halt potential work to remove Toronto bike lanes

Cycling advocates are seeking an injunction to halt any potential work to remove bikes lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue ahead of their Charter of Rights and Freedoms challenge scheduled for April 16.

Ontario can’t begin work to remove the lanes before March 20 according to Bill 212, which was passed in the fall of 2024. The province has not yet indicated when it would start construction.

The legislation requires municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they would remove a lane of vehicle traffic and specifically, will remove bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue in Toronto.

In December, Cycle Toronto filed a Charter challenge, claiming the bike lane removals violate a section of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and argue the province’s actions infringe on the rights of cyclists, pedestrians and other road uses by depriving them of life and security of the person.

“Hopefully, us winning this injunction today [will be] an important first step and certainly when we get to a full Charter challenge on April 16 – again just rejecting this legislation that the province itself knows it will put peoples lives at risk and won’t solve traffic or congestion,” said Executive Director Michael Longfield

The province’s lawyers, however, disagree with that sentiment, arguing that the Charter does not provide a right to government services.

They argue the removal of bike lanes would not cause reparable harm to the applicants as they can use transit options, like the TTC, cabs or ride share services. The lawyers also added individual conveniences is not a violation of rights and all applicants have other options to get around the city.

No decision was made Tuesday, but the judge is expected to deliver his answer sometime this week or early next week.

The City of Toronto has claimed that the cost of ripping up the bike lanes would cost close to $50 million.

On top of that, it was noted that the removal of the bike lanes would contribute to worsening travel times due to reconstruction of the roads taking several months.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has said the province will foot the bill for removal costs, but he doesn’t believe the city’s estimate of $48 million, as it is close to double the price tag of the initial installation.

The injunction hearing also comes just weeks after a group of Etobicoke businesses sued the City of Toronto over the bike lanes installed on Bloor Street.