Oct 14, 2026
Premier Doug Ford’s government’s plan to rip out Toronto bike lanes has hit a wall. This time, it’s a wall of people on bikes.
On the night of Oct. 13, provincial crews were set to begin removing protected bike lanes along a 1.2-kilometre stretch of Bloor Street West in Etobicoke. Instead, hundreds of cyclists packed the lanes near Islington Avenue. The construction trucks left without starting work.
Advertisement
The province says the delay is temporary, but between a pending court appeal, a municipal election and nightly protests, the timeline is now anything but certain. For anyone who pays Ontario taxes or commutes along this corridor, that uncertainty matters.
Thanks for subscribing!
The best of Money.ca delivered weekly.
By signing up, you accept Money.ca Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.
What happened on Bloor Street West Tuesday night?
Removal work was tentatively scheduled to start around 8 pm. By 9 pm, crews had left without beginning, according to the Toronto Sun. Protesters had gathered at Tom Riley Park, then occupied the bike lanes on both sides of Bloor Street and looped toward Royal York Station.
Organizers say they’ll be back every night. David Shellnutt, a Toronto lawyer and cycling advocate, told reporters the group plans to keep showing up where removals are expected to begin.
The province is unmoved. Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria posted on X that night: “Make no mistake: these bike lanes are coming out.”
Must Read
- A single line on your car insurance policy could be inflating your premium by up to 30% — here's what to change
- Here are 5 'must-haves' that Canadians constantly overpay for. How many of these are sabotaging your budget every single month?
- Here are the 5 biggest differences between rich and poor Canadians — which side do you fall on?
Join 20,000+ readers and get Money.ca’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
Who pays when the removal stalls?
Ontario taxpayers will be footing the bill, though nobody yet knows how much. In November 2024, City of Toronto staff estimated that removing lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue would cost at least $48 million combined. The province has said it will reimburse the city, which spreads that bill across all of Ontario’s taxpayers.
The province’s request for proposals for the bike lane removal work isn’t public. That means there’s no way to know what a scrubbed night of work, or a weeks-long standoff, adds to the tab.
Ford’s government argues the spending is worth it. The province says traffic costs the provincial economy $56 billion a year. Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford, who supports removal, points to city counts on part of this stretch showing 38,490 cars a day versus 197 bikes.
Critics, however, see it differently. A government-commissioned report found removal could raise collisions by 54% among all road users without reducing congestion.
Could the Supreme Court of Canada delay this further?
The Supreme Court could cause further delays. Cycle Toronto, a local cycling advocacy group, said it will seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada after losing at the Court of Appeal for Ontario in August.
Advertisement
Ecojustice lawyer Bronwyn Roe told Canadian Cycling Magazine that a court-ordered stay could hold up removals planned for spring. Without one, she explained, the work can continue while the top court decides whether to hear the case. Ecojustice is a Canadian environmental law charity.
Politics adds another wildcard to the pile. Toronto votes on Oct. 26, and Bradford has pledged to take out the Etobicoke lanes in his first year as mayor. Incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow opposes the removals, and the province declined her compromise to restore car lanes while keeping bike lanes.
What does the standoff mean for your commute costs?
For some households in the affected areas, losing the lanes changes the math entirely. Shellnutt, who bikes his child to daycare along Bloor, put it bluntly: “When that lane is removed, I will take her in my SUV.”
That switch is not cheap. According to CAA, even the most fuel-efficient gas car costs about $4,550 a year to run in Ontario. That figure covers fuel, maintenance and depreciation only; insurance and loan payments are additional
Drivers face a cost too. Once the bike lane removal starts, the province expects lane reductions on this stretch for weeks.
What to do now
The outcome is still unresolved, so plan for either scenario:
- Check Ontario Ministry of Transportation construction notices before driving Bloor Street West this fall
- Run your personal numbers with CAA’s Driving Costs Calculator before trading a bike for a car
- Tell your insurer if your annual kilometres or commute change
- Confirm if your home or tenant policy covers bike theft and personal liability
- Ask your MPP to disclose final removal contract costs once they’re awarded
Whether the bike lanes come out next week or next spring, the bill keeps building in the meantime. Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, believes the province intends to remove as many lanes as possible: “No matter what the cost.”
You May Also Like
- This 7-step plan from Dave Ramsey is designed to help you ditch debt, save more and build wealth — here’s how it works
- Prioritize these 4 critical investments and watch your net worth skyrocket
- Here are 8 solid money moves that could free up real cash every month — here's where to start
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
The most expensive financial mistakes are often the ones you don't see coming. Join 19,000+ Canadians who get the money moves, risks and opportunities shaping their finances — delivered free each week. Subscribe now.
Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
