April 17, 2025 - At an Ontario Superior Court hearing on April 16, Justice Paul Schabas appeared to agree with cycling advocates regarding Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s argument that tearing out bike lanes will cut gridlock is bunk, reports The Trillium.
Cycle Toronto has launched a Charter challenge against the province’s Bill 212 anti-bike lane legislation claiming the Ford government’s planned Toronto bike lane removals violate the Charter’s guarantee of life, liberty and security of the person. Advocates argued that the removals are arbitrary — bearing no logical connection to the premier’s stated purpose of reducing congestion.
“Removing bike lanes would add back a vehicle lane, the law is clearly meant to ease traffic,” argued Crown lawyer Josh Hunter. Yet according the judge, it will fill up with cars in the long term, and travel times will go back to normal, a planning principle known as induced demand.
“That’s what all the traffic experts around the world say,” the judge said.
Read the full report here.
