Ontario's highest court has ruled that the provincial government may proceed with removing protected bike lanes from three of Toronto's busiest streets, overturning a lower court decision that had blocked the plan on constitutional grounds. The Ontario Court of Appeal issued its decision on Friday, siding with Premier Doug Ford's government in a long-running legal dispute with cycling advocacy groups. The ruling does not force immediate removal of the lanes, but it removes the legal barrier that had paused the province's plan since mid-2025.
What did the court decide?
The Court of Appeal found there is no constitutional right to bike lanes, and that the legislature is free to change its policy on cycling infrastructure even if experts warn the change could backfire. According to Global News, the unanimous decision came from a three-judge panel, which characterised the dispute as a matter of legislative policy rather than a Charter rights issue. Justice Huscroft, writing for the court, stated:
"Neither the government nor the legislature is under any obligation to accept policy advice."
The judges also noted that courts have no basis to strike down legislation simply because they, or outside experts, predict the resulting policy will fail to achieve its stated goals.
How did this dispute begin?
The conflict traces back to 2024, when the Ford government passed legislation empowering the province to strip out bike lanes that Toronto's municipal government had only recently installed. According to Global News, that legislation, Bill 212, gave Ontario direct authority to remove or reconfigure the city's protected cycling infrastructure. The three affected corridors run along parts of Yonge Street, University Avenue and Bloor Street, covering roughly 19 kilometres in total, per the same report. Cycling advocacy organisations, including Cycle Toronto, challenged the province in court soon after the law passed, and the removal effort was frozen while the case proceeded.
That challenge succeeded in July 2025, when a superior court judge ruled that tearing out the lanes would raise the risk of death or injury for road users, thereby breaching the right to life and security of the person guaranteed under Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Reporting from a national broadcaster's coverage identified the judge as Justice Paul Schabas, who found the government's supporting evidence weak and out of step with expert consensus on traffic safety. The case then moved to appeal, where it was argued before the Court of Appeal on 28 January 2026, according to Cycling Magazine.
What are officials and advocates saying?
Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, one of the groups behind the original legal challenge, said he was disappointed by Friday's outcome.
"This isn't just about keeping people on bikes safe. It helps pedestrians. It helps other drivers. It has a very strong traffic calming effect that we need in major cities."
Longfield argued that the province's push against bike lanes amounts to unwarranted interference in local decision-making, calling it "frankly ridiculous" to treat cycling infrastructure as the cause of urban congestion. He added:
"The more we can focus on real, evidence-based solutions ... the better it will be."
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she has continued discussions with the province aimed at finding an arrangement that keeps all road users safe. Ontario's transportation minister, Prabmeet Sarkaria, described the ruling as a "victory for common sense" in a statement, though the government has not confirmed a timeline for removing the lanes.
A 2024 city report estimated that tearing out the lanes would cost taxpayers an additional C$48m (£26m). Internal provincial briefings also showed that Ontario's own transportation staff concluded removal would not ease congestion and could worsen it, while warning that the move risked being seen as the province overstepping into municipal authority.
What happens next?
Despite the ruling, cycling advocates say the broader fight over Toronto's road network is not finished. According to the advocacy group Cycle Toronto's own rights campaign page, a separate provincial law known as Bill 60 still prevents municipalities from converting existing vehicle lanes into bike lanes, meaning the legal contest over cycling infrastructure in Ontario extends beyond this single case. Separately, provincial transportation officials had earlier signalled openness to compromise: a report from a national broadcaster indicated that around 20 October 2025, Ontario suggested a shortened project on part of Bloor Street that would preserve both a bike lane and a vehicle lane. Whether that kind of compromise now shapes the province's next move on Yonge, University and Bloor remains to be seen.
- The Ontario Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that the province can proceed with removing Toronto's protected bike lanes.
- The lanes in question run about 19 kilometres along Yonge Street, University Avenue and Bloor Street.
- A lower court had ruled the removal unconstitutional in July 2025; the appeal was argued on 28 January 2026.
- A 2024 city report put the removal cost at C$48m, and internal provincial staff warned it would not reduce congestion.
- Bill 60 still restricts municipalities from converting car lanes into bike lanes, according to Cycle Toronto.
