The Ontario government is now permitted to remove Toronto's bike lanes on its busiest streets following a ruling by the region's top court on Friday. This decision overturns a previous lower court ruling that stated removing the lanes would violate constitutional rights.
The ruling is considered significant for Ontario's premier, Doug Ford, and his government, who have previously attributed the city's traffic issues to the protected bike lanes. In 2024, the Ford government passed legislation to allow the removal of these lanes, despite their recent installation.
Efforts to remove 19 kilometres of road infrastructure were paused after cycling advocacy organisations launched a legal challenge. A superior court judge supported this challenge in July 2025, ruling that removing the lanes was unconstitutional due to a heightened risk of death or injury, which would violate rights protected under Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
However, Friday's decision from the Ontario Court of Appeal reverses that ruling. The court of appeal judges stated there is no charter right to bike lanes and that the government is free to change legislation if it wishes. They also explained that courts cannot find legislation unconstitutional based on expert predictions that government policies will fail.
Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, expressed disappointment with the decision. Toronto's mayor, Olivia Chow, stated she is working with the province to negotiate a path forward for road user safety. Ontario's transportation minister, Prabmeet Sarkaria, called the decision a "victory for common sense." The government has not yet announced plans for the removal of the lanes.