Province hires firm to plan removal of some Toronto bike lanes

The Ford government announced it’s hired an engineering firm to finalize the design for removing bike lanes from certain Toronto streets.

With an election announcement slated for Wednesday, the province announced the intentions to re-install vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West, Yonge Street and University Avenue.

“Our government has heard loud and clear from residents and businesses about the problems with gridlock. The failed approach of installing bike lanes without a second thought for drivers or local businesses is not working,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation.

“By freeing up some of Toronto’s most important roads, we’re bringing common sense back to municipal planning.”

The government did not indicate when the bike lanes would be removed.

The City of Toronto, which opposed the province’s legislation titled “Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024,” estimated that removing $27 million worth of bike lane infrastructure would cost $48 million.

More to come