Province doubles down on bike lane restrictions after losing in court.
Toronto, October 23, 2025
TORONTO—Buried deep in an omnibus hodgepodge bill ostensibly focused on housing, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, the Government of Ontario plans to handcuff municipalities from making meaningful decisions about their roads and block the construction of any new bike lanes that would involve road reconfigurations.
This is the third time in just over a year that Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria has amended the Highway Traffic Act to target bike lanes, generally under municipal jurisdiction, beginning last fall with Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024.
Currently, only a "prescribed municipality” requires ministerial approval for bike lanes. To date, no municipalities have been prescribed, nor have any regulations been issued outlining any criteria for approvals. Today’s announcement makes clear there was never any intent to provide any regulations.
Cycle Toronto, along with individuals Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo, won a Charter challenge against sections of the legislation in July 2025. The victory prevented the arbitrary and reckless removal of 19 km of protected bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street. The province is appealing the decision.
TORONTO—Buried deep in an omnibus hodgepodge bill ostensibly focused on housing, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, the Government of Ontario plans to handcuff municipalities from making meaningful decisions about their roads and block the construction of any new bike lanes that would involve road reconfigurations.
This is the third time in just over a year that Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria has amended the Highway Traffic Act to target bike lanes, generally under municipal jurisdiction, beginning last fall with Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024.
Currently, only a "prescribed municipality” requires ministerial approval for bike lanes. To date, no municipalities have been prescribed, nor have any regulations been issued outlining any criteria for approvals. Today’s announcement makes clear there was never any intent to provide any regulations.
Cycle Toronto, along with individuals Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo, won a Charter challenge against sections of the legislation in July 2025. The victory prevented the arbitrary and reckless removal of 19 km of protected bike lanes on Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street. The province is appealing the decision.
In the decision, the court was scathing about the lack of evidence ostensibly underpinning the legislation. Documents revealed in the court confirmed that despite Premier Doug Ford and the Minister’s public comments, the government’s own experts saw no link between traffic congestion and bike lanes: “The advice provided to the government, both before and after Bill 212 was passed, was that the removal of the target bike lanes to restore a lane of motor vehicle traffic will not achieve the asserted goal of the legislation, as it will not reduce congestion.”
The decision makes clear there is no positive constitutional right to bike lanes, but that “the increased risk of harm results from action that will not further the government’s objective of reducing congestion, the government action is arbitrary and breaches s. 7 of the Charter.”
Today’s announcement comes on the heels of the province’s plans to repeal the speed camera program their government previously approved, despite all the evidence from road safety and public health experts. Premier Ford has hinted the province might be willing to fund additional road safety and traffic calming measures in place of the speed camera program. It’s worth noting the inconsistency that protected bike lanes are a road safety measure. An expert report prepared for the province noted that protected bike lanes have a “positive impact on road safety performance, with a reduction in total collisions (i.e., involving all road users, not just cyclists) between 35% to 50.2%.”
Michael Longfield, Cycle Toronto executive director, said:
“This is further proof that any claims this time last year that the Province of Ontario intended to collaborate with municipalities on data-driven decisions to keep people moving were never sincere. This is a government wasting your tax dollars by doubling down on a bad-faith culture war that will only make congestion worse while putting people’s lives at risk. For folks frustrated driving in our cities, Doug Ford knows you’re not stuck in traffic because of bike lanes. Where is the same focus and intensity from the province on real solutions like opening the endlessly delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT?”
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“This is further proof that any claims this time last year that the Province of Ontario intended to collaborate with municipalities on data-driven decisions to keep people moving were never sincere. This is a government wasting your tax dollars by doubling down on a bad-faith culture war that will only make congestion worse while putting people’s lives at risk. For folks frustrated driving in our cities, Doug Ford knows you’re not stuck in traffic because of bike lanes. Where is the same focus and intensity from the province on real solutions like opening the endlessly delayed Eglinton Crosstown LRT?”
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About
Cycle Toronto is a member-supported charity that has been working to make Toronto a healthier and more vibrant cycling city for everyone since 2008. It is the lead applicant in the successful Charter challenge represented by lawyers from Paliare Roland and Ecojustice against the province’s attempts to rip out 19 km of bike lanes in Toronto.
Cycle Toronto is a member-supported charity that has been working to make Toronto a healthier and more vibrant cycling city for everyone since 2008. It is the lead applicant in the successful Charter challenge represented by lawyers from Paliare Roland and Ecojustice against the province’s attempts to rip out 19 km of bike lanes in Toronto.
