Toronto cyclists lose bid to force Ford government to pause bike lane removals

A group of Toronto cyclists hoping to put a roadblock in the way of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s bike lane plans have lost their bid to delay them.

Ontario Superior Court Justice Stephen Firestone ruled Friday to deny an injunction brought forward by the group, led by Cycle Toronto, earlier this week against the province’s plan to remove bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue.

The group was seeking to stop any removal work until its court challenge, which is scheduled for April 16, was heard.

“The short duration for which the injunction is sought might limit the inconvenience to Ontario if it were granted. But the same is true for the applicants. The increased risk of harm they allege will only last a short window until the merits of their Charter claims are considered,” Firestone wrote.

“Given the assumption that the suspension of validly passed law causes irreparable harm, this displaces the applicants’ submission that ‘all else being equal’ on the balance of convenience, the status quo should prevail. I find that the balance tips in favour of Ontario.”

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Cycle Toronto has said Bill 212, the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, infringes on Charter rights and should be thrown out by a court. It became law on Nov. 25, 2024.

Michael Longfield, Cycle Toronto’s executive director, previously told Global News removing those bike lanes before their argument is heard will put people at risk.

Longfield is currently recovering from a broken femur after being hit by a car door while he was cycling in a painted bike lane. He’s convinced if the lane had the same protections installed to separate cyclists from cars, like those the province intends to remove, he wouldn’t have been injured.

2:54 Toronto council debates provincial bike lane battle

With attention focused on trade disputes, the provincial government has been quiet on the matter since it was re-elected late last month. But in his victory speech after winning a third term as premier on Feb. 27, Ford made a point of mentioning his intention to “bring sanity back to bike lanes.”

Under Bill 212, provincial approval will be required to install new bike lanes in any Ontario municipality, and new separated lanes would be prohibited if infrastructure interferes with existing vehicle traffic.

Ontario has promised to reimburse cities for the cost of removing existing infrastructure, but Ford has balked at the estimates the city has provided, insisting they’re far too high.

The timeline for when work would begin is unclear, and a provincial spokesperson did not clarify when reached by Global News Friday.

At a press conference Tuesday, Mayor Olivia Chow declined to weigh in on the legal challenge to Bill 212, saying she is still hoping to reach a compromise with the province to keep the bike lanes.

— with files from Isaac Callan and Colin D’Mello