Ontario’s government is moving forward with plans to restore a lane of vehicle traffic while keeping bike lanes along a short section of Bloor Street West in Toronto — even as the legal fight over the province’s bike lane law continues.
Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria announced that road work will begin on or shortly after October 20 between Resurrection Road and Clissold Road. The reconfiguration will preserve the existing bike lanes, which will be enhanced with barrier curbs and bollards, while adding back a lane for vehicle traffic that was previously removed.
This decision comes despite an ongoing appeal. In July, an Ontario Superior Court judge struck down a provincial law that aimed to remove three stretches of Toronto bike lanes, ruling it unconstitutional. The Ford government has appealed, and the Ontario Court of Appeal is set to hear the case in January.
Sarkaria said the government believes the new plan aligns with the lower-court ruling, even as the legal process unfolds. Premier Doug Ford has publicly criticized the ruling, calling it “ridiculous” and “ideological.”
The move signals the province’s intention to implement its own traffic and cycling compromise on Bloor Street while maintaining its broader legal challenge against the court decision.