(The 2022 Ontario provincial election results in Toronto. Image: Alex McPhee)
Voters will be going to the polls on Thursday, February 27th, and you have a critical opportunity to make Ontario a safe, healthy place to ride a bike.
While cycling infrastructure is typically a municipal issue, this provincial election could decide the fate of nearly 19 km of protected bike lanes in Toronto—including on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue.
Wasting taxpayer money to tear out safe bike lanes is reckless and dangerous. On election day, send a strong message: no city has ever solved congestion by prioritizing cars—bike lanes should remain a municipal decision.
It’s not too late. Tell the province to stay in its lane.
Who Can Vote
If you are:
- 18 years of age or older;
- a Canadian citizen; and
- a resident of Ontario.
You are eligible to vote! Make sure you bring your ID.
How to Vote
Regular voting hours are 9:00 am to 9:00 pm on Thursday, February 27th. Advance voting and mail-in options are also available. Find out more here on the Elections Ontario website.
When you head to the polling station, you must bring your voter card and one piece of identification that shows your name. If you haven’t received a voter card, you can still cast a ballot by bringing a piece of ID that shows both your name and home address. A photo ID is not required.
“You’re nervous when there’s not bike lanes. At least I was. Someone dings you from behind, and we have to do everything we can to make sure there’s never a death in the city. One death is way too many. When it comes to bicycle riders, we have to make sure that they’re safe.”
-Doug Ford (Political Blind Date S1E2: November 14, 2017)
We agree, Doug. Bike lanes save lives.
Back in the fall, the Ontario PC Party introduced and passed legislation to rip out nearly 19 km of protected bike lanes in Toronto including Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue.
Despite the province’s bluster, that plan is still in limbo.
Cycle Toronto has launched a Charter challenge to Bill 212 — Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024, arguing the law’s mandated removal of Toronto’s bike lanes puts lives at risk. That hearing is scheduled for April 16th, 2025.
But on February 27th we need you to send a strong message to all the parties at Queen’s Park. Over the next four years we need to make it easier and more convenient for more people to choose to ride a bike by:
Protecting Vulnerable Road Users
- Enact new legislation with mandatory sentencing for drivers who seriously injure or kill vulnerable road users.
Enacting Practical E-Bike and E-Cargo Bike Regulations
- Harmonize regulations for pedal-assist e-bikes and e-cargo bikes to make them safe and convenient for families. Reverse Bill 197’s ban on carrying kids on e-bikes.
Keeping Bike Lane Planning in Local Hands
- End jurisdictional overreach—bike lane planning must remain a municipal decision, free from provincial interference. Reverse Bill 212 and do not rip out our bike lanes.
Your vote matters. Tell your candidates these issues matter to you.
See you at the polls on Thursday.
