Canada
Ontario starts ripping out Bloor Street bike lanes this morning; protest ride planned
The first removals since the province won its court fight land two weeks before Toronto's mayoral vote — and the province's own engineers warned removal could raise collisions.
Published: October 13, 2026 · Updated: October 13, 2026 · 1 min read
Crews from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation begin removing the protected bike lanes on a 1.2-kilometre stretch of Bloor Street West in Etobicoke on Tuesday morning — the first removals since the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled in August that the province may rip out up to 19 kilometres of Toronto bike lanes.
A ministry spokesperson, Dakota Brasier, confirmed the start date to CBC. Crews will strip pavement markings and precast concrete curbs and restore a vehicle lane in each direction, mostly at night, with work expected to finish in November. The stretch runs from Clissold Road to Royal York Road.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the move "completely unacceptable" and an affront to local democracy. Cycling advocates cite the province's own commissioned CIMA+ engineering report, which found removal could increase collisions by 54 per cent for all road users and was unlikely to ease congestion, according to eBikes International's reporting. The province argues restoring road capacity tackles congestion.
A protest ride is planned for Tuesday. The fight lands exactly two weeks before Toronto's Oct. 26 mayoral vote, making the bike lanes a live election issue — and a test of how far provincial power extends into municipal jurisdiction.
What matters
What happened
Ontario begins removing protected bike lanes on 1.2 km of Bloor St. W. in Etobicoke on Tuesday, Oct. 13; work runs mostly at night through November.
Why it matters
First physical confrontation in the province-vs-city bike lane war, two weeks before Toronto's mayoral election — and the province's own engineers warned removal could increase collisions 54 per cent.
What we know
The August Court of Appeal ruling reversed a lower-court decision and cleared removal of up to 19 km. A protest ride is planned Tuesday.
What we don’t
What’s next
Watch whether removal proceeds on schedule — and whether cycling advocates seek Supreme Court leave.
Sources
- The Canadian Wire (citing CTV/CBC) · other
- eBikes International · other
- Micromobility.io · other
Torontobike lanesOlivia ChowOntarioDoug Ford
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