Toronto Cyclists Ask Supreme Court to Hear 19km Bike Lane Appeal

Ontario has begun removing bike lanes on Bloor Street West in Etobicoke, starting with a 1.2-kilometre stretch, as cyclists prepare both a street-level protest and a bid to take their legal fight to Canada’s highest court.

The cyclists challenging the province’s plan said Tuesday they will seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, after the Ontario Court of Appeal reversed a lower-court decision that had blocked the broader removal plan.

Legal battle heads higher

The dispute centres on Ontario’s plan to replace 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes with car lanes on three major Toronto roads.

A lower court had struck down the provincial bill, finding it posed an unconstitutional risk to cyclist safety. But the Ontario Court of Appeal reversed that ruling in August 2026, saying the trial judge had improperly strayed into policy-making and political considerations.

The groups behind the challenge say unresolved questions remain about the limits on government decisions that may put people at risk. In a statement, they called on the Supreme Court to consider “not just safe infrastructure in Toronto, but in what circumstances the government may lawfully make policy decisions that put lives at risk.”

Cycle Toronto leader Michael Longfield had also said the organization was weighing a Supreme Court appeal. He described the province’s estimated $48-million cost of removing bike lanes across 19 kilometres as startling.

“Why is the province spending $48 million to fixate on 19 kilometres of roads in Toronto when there are clearly other priorities,” Longfield said.

Protest planned on Bloor

The legal move comes as Advocacy for Respect for Cyclists plans what it calls an all-out two-wheeled protest on Bloor Street West between Islington Avenue and Royal York Road.

Organizers expect about 1,000 or more cyclists to gather, with the aim of making the lane removal more difficult without physically impeding construction crews.

“A bunch of cyclists, about 1,000, maybe a lot more, will show up to the scene,” advocacy leader Geoffrey Bercarich told CityNews. “They will just take over the bike lane.”

Bercarich said demonstrators do not intend to physically get in the way of workers. Advocacy leaders have said a policy threatens extra hard criminal charges for anyone who tries to disrupt the deconstruction of the bike lane.

Mayor Olivia Chow has condemned the province’s decision as “outrageous,” calling it an overstep of the Ford government’s mandate.

Province cites traffic concerns

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria has framed the work as part of the government’s commitment to restore motor-vehicle lanes.

“Our government was given a clear and direct mandate by the people of Ontario to fight gridlock,” Sarkaria said in a release. “We’re keeping our promise.”

According to the Toronto Sun, the ministry said the work will take place between Clissold and Royal York roads, with most of it expected to be completed at night to reduce traffic impacts.

The removal has also found support from some local voices. Sam Pappas, owner of the Crooked Cue on Bloor Street West, said he was grateful to see the lanes removed.

“The removal of the bike lanes on Bloor Street will restore access and beauty that was lost,” Pappas said. “As a business owner and a long-time resident, I am grateful that we will get back to a system that works for the majority.”

For cyclists, however, the work underway in Etobicoke is more than a local construction project. It is the immediate test of a provincial policy they are now asking the Supreme Court of Canada to examine.

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