Cycle Toronto has been leading the change for a better cycling city since 2008. As you’ll read below, however, there’s still so much more to do. And as a member-supported charity, we depend on the support of folks like you. Please consider making a monthly donation to help keep our wheels turning.
This summer edition of Ring & Post features an AGM update, some overdue changes to e-bike regulations, and free bike parking. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
- ED Statement
- Annual General Meeting Recap
- Bill 212 Legal Challenge Update
- Rec Hub Grand Opening
- Regulatory Change to E-Bikes
- Upgrading Bike Lanes
- Mandatory Side Guards
- FIFA Bike Valet
- Social Media Spotlight
- Cycle Toronto in the Media
- Upcoming Events
ED Statement
“Cycling is not a left-right issue,” I catch myself saying a lot these days.
I point to the expansion of bike lanes in London, England under conservative mayor Boris Johnson, or that Cycle Toronto itself was founded due to the lack of progress in Toronto’s own bike plan under progressive mayor David Miller. And nobody’s idea of a lefty mayor John Tory moved Toronto much further in its bike plans than even he likely expected (albeit aided by a global pandemic), but there’s been no further urgency or ambition even prior to Bill 212 and Bill 60 under our current mayor Olivia Chow.
I list the economic benefits in supporting local businesses that study after study keep demonstrating, the clear boon for physical and mental health to offset rising health care costs, boosting energy independence and mobility choices, and the dramatic savings in building and maintaining cycling infrastructure compared to roads and transit. The rapid rise of e-bikes and e-cargo bikes have further unlocked cycling for more trips for more people, not just the young or the able bodied.
I conclude with a variation of, “Bike lanes aren’t about ideology, it’s about geometry. There simply is not enough space for every person to choose to drive for every trip.”
So why are bike lanes a culture-war wedge issue?
Indulge me for a moment.
One of my proudest accomplishments from my first tour of duty at Cycle Toronto was working with then-colleagues Tamara Nahal and Kevin Rupasinghe in the early months of the pandemic on our open letter to the newly-formed Toronto Office of Recovery and Rebuild:
…it is clear that Toronto cannot revert to the status quo when the pandemic is over. We must create an equitable economy that supports the health of our city and planet. Torontonians deserve a sustainable future that leaves no one behind. We are committed to working with you and others to ensure the COVID-19 recovery includes a sufficiently ambitious active transportation plan for Toronto.
At the time, we hoped the subsequent report would create a real framework for building back better. For many the bike boom and a political reshifting towards rebalancing streets for people represented one of the few causes for optimism. Of course that’s not what happened. And instead we experienced a rush towards some idyllic before time that never existed.
Perhaps you too think back longingly at those ActiveTO weekends on Lake Shore Blvd W, and increased mobility from the unprecedented acceleration of new bike lanes.
But not everyone experienced the pandemic or its aftermath the same way.
The loss of income, businesses, and connection with friends and family was common, but not evenly distributed. And early enthusiasm for the collective sacrifice to "flatten the curve" increasingly metastasized into resentment. At some point we started normalising how much inconvenience was worth other people's safety.
Certainly politicians and others who championed cycling six years ago have visibly cooled. I don't think that's a coincidence. We haven't processed, collectively, what we were asked to give up. So when someone gets angry about a modal diverter on their street, the loss of a parking spot, or a few extra seconds at a traffic light, maybe it’s not about traffic counts or collision data. Maybe it’s unprocessed pandemic-fueled grievances about sacrifice, fairness, and who gets to decide whose inconvenience matters. We won’t win this argument with facts and better stats, because it was never about the stats. What we can do is not invalidate people’s experiences and choose not to fight the wrong fight. Keep telling your story about why cycling matters to you. But recognize that for some of your neighbours, the anger and outrage isn’t about the bike lane at all.
-Michael Longfield
Executive Director
Annual General Meeting Recap
(Most of Cycle Toronto’s Board of Directors at our 2026 AGM.)
Cycle Toronto’s 2026 Annual General Meeting took place on Tuesday at Rhythm, a cafe and event space located at 141 Bathurst St. Members approved the 2025 financial statements (another big year for fundraising and membership growth!), and reappointed our auditors.
We said goodbye to four outgoing directors on our Board: Graeme Deans, Julia Langer, Simon Minelli, and Dana O’Born. Thank you for your years of service.
Monish Gandhi and Sarah Lamb were reelected for a second term, and we welcomed four new directors: Angela Barber, Damien A. Côté, Princess Doe, and David Mender. Thank you to everyone who put their name forward to run. Read more about our Board.
We also announced that nominations were open for this year’s Alex Amaro Cycling Kindness Award. Gary Orme, Alex’s uncle, spoke about the award’s significance to the family in keeping Alex’s memory alive and turning tragedy to hope.
Finally, a special thanks to member Chris Robinson who pledged $5,000 at the meeting!
Whatever your capacity to give, every donation counts to help us continue our work.
Bill 212 Legal Challenge Update
(Cyclists riding up University Ave during our Victory Rally last summer. Photo: Joshua Best)
TL;DR: the bike lanes are still here, but it remains a waiting game.
To recap: Almost a year ago in July 2025, a superior court judge agreed that the forced removal of 19 km of protected bike lanes in Toronto was arbitrary (because it would not reduce traffic congestion) and reckless (because it would put people's lives at risk). The legal challenge was launched in December 2024 by Cycle Toronto and our co-applicants, Eva Stanger-Ross and Narada Kiondo, and represented by lawyers from Ecojustice and Paliare Roland. (The City of Toronto has no official role in the case.)
The judge found the bike-lane removal provisions in the Ontario government's Bill 212, Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024, in violation of Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and not saved by Section 1. Internal government documents revealed in court contradicting the stated claims about the legislation were key to our win.
The bike lanes were saved.
The province appealed, and the hearing before a panel of three judges took place in January 2026. To quote a lawyer familiar with the case, the decision "could be tomorrow, could be next week, could be anytime until the end of July, though if they want to rag the puck for longer than that, I'm good with it!"
To double down on this bad-faith culture war, the government also passed Bill 60, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, another piece of omnibus legislation that further restricts municipalities from building future bike lanes that require removing car lanes. Our case wasn't arguing for a constitutional right to bike lanes, just that this specific removal was arbitrary and reckless, so win or lose, it has no legal impact on future bike lanes. Repealing Bill 60 will require a vote in the provincial legislature.
The premier has also been cagey about whether or not he'd invoke the nuclear option of Section 33 to override your Charter rights. Ontario has previously invoked the Notwithstanding Clause three times, in 2018, 2021, and 2022, but each instance was either struck down by the courts or revoked by the government. Overriding the Charter for the sake of bike lanes would be an unprecedented overreach.
Read Cycle Toronto v. Ontario decision.
Read the internal government documents.
(Note: This is current as of June 20. Check back, it could change fast.)
Rec Hub Grand Opening
(Cycle Toronto Rec Hub at Evergreen Brick Works. Photos: Joshua Best)
Last Saturday, we welcomed the community to the grand opening of the Cycle Toronto Rec Hub at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave, Toronto).
A dream a long time in the making, the Rec Hub is a welcoming community space that takes the intimidation out of bike maintenance and repair.
Our friendly staff and volunteers will help guide you through the basics to keep you rolling. Even expert home mechanics are also welcome to use our facilities.
DIY drop-in hours from June to September (subject to change):
Wednesdays: 3 PM - 7 PM
Saturdays: 10 AM - 5 PM
Sundays: 10 AM - 5 PM
(Find us by the Farmers’ Market pavilion at Evergreen Brick Works.)
Regulatory Change to E-Bikes
(Cycle Toronto executive director Michael Longfield discussing proposed provincial regulations for e-bikes on The Rundown. Image: TVO)
E-bikes have been a game-changer on Toronto streets. Unfortunately, provincial and federal regulations haven't kept up, leaving the city to manage the confusion and consequences with limited tools to respond.
Cycle Toronto supports the Ontario Ministry of Transportation's proposed regulations to clearly differentiate between so-called "power-assisted vehicles," including Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes, and "motor-assisted vehicles," including e-mopeds and low-speed motorcycles. We believe these changes would provide better clarity for industry and consumers. Our recommendation to the City of Toronto would be to update existing by-laws to allow all "power-assisted vehicles" in cycling infrastructure while excluding "motor-assisted vehicles."
The lack of mandatory battery safety standards, such as UL 2849 and UL 2271 certification, remains the biggest public health and safety risk posed by these vehicles.
Read our submission on Modernizing Ontario’s Framework for Power-Assisted Bicycles (E-Bikes).
Upgrading Bike Lanes
Back in April, nearly 1,000 Cycle Toronto supporters wrote the Mayor and City Council in support of the city’s Towards a Beautiful City initiative and to explicitly include a plan to systematically fix and upgrade our bike lanes over the next three years.
Councillor Matlow brought forward a supporting amendment to “upgrade and beautify the city's network of cycle tracks and neighbourhood greenways from ‘quick-build’ materials, including pinned curbs and flexi-posts to permanent materials to improve safety, durability, and attractiveness.”
While Cycle Toronto fully supports the ongoing use of quick-build materials to get projects built with minimal delays, the recent upgrades from flexi-posts to poured-in-place concrete along Peter St and Blue Jays Way is an example of the kind of upgrades we want to see on over 100 km of cycle tracks city-wide.
We intend to keep this on the agenda throughout election season, and ensure the upgrades are part of the city’s delivery plans in the new year.
(The new protected bike lanes on Peter St and Blue Jays Way with a driver in the distance still managing to block the lane.)
Mandatory Side Guards
Last year, city council voted to require side guards on all city-owned heavy duty trucks by the end of 2026. Cycle Toronto was in support of the recent vote by city council to also require side guards for heavy duty commercial trucks operating on city contracts awarded by mid-2027.
While side guards themselves do not reduce or eliminate collisions, they help reduce the seriousness by preventing cyclists and pedestrians from being pulled under the wheels of a truck during a collision.
This has been a subject championed by Mayor Chow at least as far back as her time as a federal MP. Rather than wait for the federal and provincial governments to take action, Cycle Toronto is pleased to see the city move forward on this valuable life-saving initiative.
Read our 2025 Just for Fun about side guards.
Listen to us on Metro Morning.
FIFA Bike Valet
(Cycle Toronto Bike Valet at Inukshuk Park. Photos: Joshua Best)
Did you know that football fans can take advantage of FREE bike parking with Cycle Toronto Bike Valet? Skip the traffic and bike with peace of mind!
All Fan Festival days (until July 19):
- Inukshuk Park (789 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto)
Match days (June 20, June 23, June 26, July 2):
-
Inukshuk Park (789 Lake Shore Blvd W, Toronto)
-
Hanna (15 Hanna Ave, Toronto)
-
Ordnance (801 Wellington St W, Toronto)
Looking for better bicycle parking for your event? Contact us.
Cycle Toronto in the Media
How Should Ontario Regulate E-Bikes? | TVO The Rundown
An off-ramp for dangerous e-bikes | The Globe and Mail
Plans for Eglinton Avenue bike lanes scrapped | Metro Morning with Chris Glover
Toronto backpedals on Eglinton bike lanes following Ford government crackdown | Toronto Today
How the Crosstown LRT helped kill the city’s decade-long plan for a bike lane along Eglinton Avenue | The Toronto Star
Side guards on Toronto City Council contracted trucks | Metro Morning with Chris Glover
Toronto backs push to bring order to bike lanes shared by cyclists, powerful e-bikes | National Observer
How should Toronto crack down on e-bikes? | CBC
Bradford pledges crackdown on 'mini-motorcycle' menace | Toronto Sun
OP-ED: Get Those E-Bike Delivery Guys!…Some Education | Spacing
Free safe cycling sessions for delivery riders roll into Toronto Monday | Canadian Cycling Magazine
Les livreurs en deux-roues sont-ils dangereux? | l-express
Bike Share Toronto unveils new and improved e-bike model | Toronto Today
Take a ride on Toronto's new e-bike prototype | CBC
Alberta government takes aim at bike lanes, with legislation expected this fall | CBC
Social Media Spotlight
Can’t get enough Cycle Toronto content? As we near the end of this edition of Ring & Post, you may find yourself already yearning for more. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Bluesky and stay up-to-date on Cycle Toronto news and events. Here is a highlight from this month:
(Cycle Toronto Instagram reel of the new Portland bike lanes.)
Upcoming Events
Kidical Mass TO
Cycle Toronto is proud to be powering the return of KidicalMassTO on the last Saturday of every month until October.
Kidical Mass is an international movement for child- and cycling-friendly cities. Kidical Mass rides are an all-ages, all-abilities celebration of cycling that highlights the need for healthier cities. Kids and their grown-ups ride their bikes together.
When: Saturday, June 27. Meet at 8:45 AM, depart at 9 AM
Where: Cycle Toronto Rec Hub at Evergreen Brick Works (550 Bayview Ave)
What: ~6 km family-friendly ride along multi-use paths, quiet streets, and dedicated cycling infrastructure, supported by Cycle Toronto ride guides
Hope you enjoyed this edition of the Ring & Post. As always, every member counts to help us continue the work you've read about in this newsletter.
