Cyclists ride Toronto streets to oppose Ford's plan to rip out bike lanes

About 1,000 cyclists rode through Toronto on Saturday to protest the Ford government's plan to remove nearly 20 kilometres of protected bike lanes on Yonge Street, Bloor Street and University Avenue.

The protest came after Ontario's Court of Appeal reversed a lower-court decision in August that had found the removal created an unconstitutional risk to cyclist safety. Last summer, a lower court had blocked the plan; the appeal court overturned that ruling.

Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, told riders the lanes were not arbitrary city decisions. "There's a reason why the City of Toronto builds bike lanes where they do," he said. "City council has voted on these lanes multiple times under multiple mayors, this isn't something that Olivia Chow decided to do by pointing at lines on a map."

Longfield also disputed the province's criticism. "I think a lot of the criticism is pretty bad faith," he said. "If the premier and the minister would ask their own experts at MTO what to do, they would tell them keep the lanes and instead focus on other transportation issues."

Cyclists at the rally described the practical costs of losing the lanes. One rider said that avoiding the protected lanes on Bloor would turn a flat stretch into a nine-kilometre journey with steep elevation changes, making a daily commute nearly impossible. Another described riding through schools and up hills that would double the distance.

During the ride, a child fell into a ditch on a side street in the first half hour.

Mayor Olivia Chow presented a proposal to the province that would restore traffic lanes on these streets while maintaining protected cycling infrastructure, but the Ford government rejected the city's plan and walked away from discussions.

Alex Gilmour, NDP MPP for Parkdale–High Park, attended the ride. "Doug Ford, stay in your lane," he said. "The municipal government, the mayor, the city councils that are elected are doing a great job, and at the province, we need to do a good job of what is ours to do."

Cycling advocates have vowed to continue fighting the removal.