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NEWS: Cycle Toronto challenges Bill 212 (Mar. 2025)

April 16th, 2025 · No Comments

Ford appears fully committed to removing bike lanes on Bloor, University, and Yonge

By Ben Hohener

On Oct. 21, 2024, the Ontario government introduced Bill 212, also known as the Reducing Gridlock, Saving Your Time Act to remove bike lanes from Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue, some of the busiest streets in the city. Section 195.6 of the Bill states that the city plans to restore the lanes for use by motor vehicles which would restrict cyclists to sharing the street with cars. 

The backlash to Bill 212 has been extreme, and as of Dec. 7, 2024, a petition conducted by Cycle Toronto has reached over 25,000 signatures. Besides the danger to cyclists, there is another community that is facing a massive threat from Bill 212: small businesses. 

“Ford is ignoring the actual facts, the number of people who use bike lanes and how it has positively affected all of the small independent businesses that make up the Annex,” said Howard Pressburger, retail manager of Weiner’s Home Hardware. 

He continued: “He doesn’t care about us. It rubs me the wrong way. You’re living in the largest city in Canada. You live cheek-to-jaw with other people. Everybody needs to be able to work. Everybody needs to be able to safely get from point A to B using the transportation method of their choice. I don’t understand how people can believe it’s bikes that are causing gridlock.”

The Bloor Annex BIA supported an extensive study of the economic impact of bike lanes on its member businesses when the city installed pilot bike lanes. The study found that despite concerns expressed by many member businesses, the bike lanes actually brought in more business, and the dividend was a safer street for all road users.

Now, the fight is being taken to court. Cycle Toronto, an organization dedicated to protecting cyclists, has recently announced their decision to challenge the bill using the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 7. Section 7 affords the right to life, liberty, and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. 

With the backing of law firm Paliare Roland and environmental law charity Ecojustice, Cycle Toronto seeks to disrupt the fulfillment of Bill 212. 

“By removing safe bike lanes that the city installed to give people more mobility options, without any due cause, it is a violation of the Charter of Rights,” said Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto. “Yes we have a traffic congestion issue, yes we need to be focusing on moving people throughout our city, but people can see plainly what is in front of their faces and they know bike lanes aren’t the problem. [They are] distracting people with false promises of removing bike lanes to help traffic. They frankly aren’t buying it.”

Central to Cycle Toronto’s argument is a government-commissioned study by construction firm CIMA+ which estimated that removing bike lanes on major roads like Bloor Steet, Yonge Street, and University Avenue could lead to a 56 per cent increase in accidents. The study also noted that bike lane removals would push more cyclists to ride on sidewalks, and that redirecting them to roads isn’t a feasible solution.

In response to this study, the Ontario government has proposed changes to Bill 212 to protect itself from potential lawsuits from injured cyclists on roads where bike lanes have been removed. Progressive Conservative MPPs have offered the provincial government, municipalities, and contractor’s immunity from liability. This only further proves Cycle Toronto’s argument; even government officials recognize the danger, yet they only choose to protect themselves.

The court’s decision on Cycle Toronto’s challenge is about more than just commuting; it is about the government’s responsibility to its citizens when it comes to urban planning and public safety.

The hearing is scheduled for April 16. 

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Tags: Annex · News