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Ontario to start removing Toronto's Bloor Street bike lanes on Oct. 13
Ontario says crews will begin removing a 1.2-km stretch of protected bike lanes on Bloor Street West in Toronto on Tuesday, Oct. 13; Mayor Olivia Chow calls the move "completely unacceptable."
Why it matters
The province is pushing ahead with removals over the objections of Toronto city council, after the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in August that it may remove about 19 km of protected bike lanes. A government-commissioned engineering report found the removals could increase collisions by 54% for all road users and are unlikely to ease congestion.
Full report
Crews will begin work on Tuesday, Oct. 13 on a 1.2-km stretch of Bloor Street West in Etobicoke, between Clissold Road and Royal York Road, removing pavement markings and pre-cast concrete curbs to restore an additional vehicle lane in each direction, confirmed Dakota Brasier, spokesperson for Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria. Construction is expected to continue into November.
In August, the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned a lower-court ruling that had blocked the province from removing protected bike lanes along Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue. The province announced in September it would immediately begin restoring vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the removal "completely unacceptable" and accused Premier Doug Ford of trampling on local democracy. Cycle Toronto executive director Michael Longfield called it a $48-million waste, and the group plans a protest ride on Oct. 13. City councillor Brad Bradford said he supports removing this section — citing 38,490 cars versus 197 bikes a day — but not higher-use lanes elsewhere.
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