October 21, 2026 - The battle over bike lanes continued as a large group of about 100 protesters gathered on Bloor St. West in Etobicoke again on Tuesday (Oct. 20) to voice their disapproval of the removal of bike lanes reports CityNews, CBC and other outlets.
The rally began as a celebration marking one week since protesters were able to stop construction crews from proceeding on Oct. 13, and sent four pylon trucks home – read more here. According to Jess Spieker of Friends and Families for Safe Streets on CBC, “I was so happy, it was such a relief. I almost died after being hit by a reckless driver and my colleagues and good friends lost their loved ones. Reverting the streets back to their dangerous situation without protected bike lanes will only get more people hurt and killed.”
Last evening was also the first time that heavy equipment was brought in and things quickly escalated into a standoff between demonstrators and construction crews. The large crowd was able to prevent the Pave-Al Limited paving machine from being unloaded, forcing it to leave as protesters chanted “Get home safe”.
The crowd moved across the street hoping to get a Triple-A milling machine to leave as well, but the police showed up once again and surrounded the machine which was eventually unloaded and began its work tearing up the pavement. Organizers recommend bringing N95 masks to future protests.
This ongoing battle has been heating up since Premier Doug Ford’s government passed Bill 212 (the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024) in Nov. 2024 that sought to remove the bike lanes. The bill was challenged by Cycle Toronto, joined by individual applicants Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo, and represented by lawyers from Ecojustice and Paliare Roland LLP.
The advocacy group argued that it would put people at increased risk of harm and death, thereby violating section 7 of the Charter, which protects the right to life and security of the person. In July 2025, Justice Paul Schabas agreed with Cycle Toronto’s challenge ruling that government decisions that increase risk to people, particularly vulnerable road users like cyclists, are unconstitutional when not made in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.
The province appealed, and in mid-August, the Court of Appeal for Ontario overturned the lower court allowing Premier Doug Ford’s government to remove 19km of protected bike lanes in Toronto along Bloor St., University Ave., and Yonge St. – read more here.
A report by the engineering firm CIMA+, commissioned by the province, estimated that removing the bike lanes could increase collisions among all road users, including cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers, by as much as 54%, and found no clear evidence that their removal would ease congestion.
A City of Toronto staff report from Nov. 2024 estimated the minimum direct cost of removing the 19km of bike lanes at $48 million, on top of the $27 million already spent installing them. Critics argue that it’s a colossal waste of taxpayer money.
Cycle Toronto is taking the fight to the Supreme Court of Canada “to provide clarity about the scope of the rights to life and security of the person protected by Section 7 of the Charter.” – read more here.
Supporters of the bike lanes can donate to the Bike Lane Protest Fund here.
Read more on CityNews here; CBC here.
With files from Two Wheeled Politics here.
