TORONTO — The Ontario government is moving ahead with plans to remove bike lanes on three of Toronto’s most congested streets. The province has retained an engineering company to complete design work, as it prepares to reinstate vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West, Yonge Street and University Avenue.
“Our government has heard loud and clear from residents and businesses about the problems with gridlock. The failed approach of installing bike lanes without a second thought for drivers or local businesses is not working,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “By freeing up some of Toronto’s most important roads, we’re bringing common sense back to municipal planning.”
The province is taking action following the tabling of the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024, which received Royal Assent last fall. The Act requires cities to receive provincial approval before installing bike lanes where the removal of a traffic lane would occur. The legislation also requires municipalities to provide data on existing bike lanes, which could be removed.
“From day one, the bike lanes on Bloor West have been poorly planned, sitting empty for half the year, hurting local businesses and making life harder for drivers and pedestrians,” said Sam Pappas, Board Member of Balance on Bloor. “Restoring vehicle lanes on major roads in Toronto is a major milestone that will help our community continue to thrive.”
In 2023, data from mapping firm, TomTom, showed commuters in Toronto face the longest travel times in North America and the third-longest travel times in the world.
“The bike lanes on Bloor were troubling from the start for the many residents that shop and live in the community," said Christine Hogarth, MPP for Etobicoke—Lakeshore. "The lanes were underutilized and caused stress on drivers, seniors, those with accessibility issues and made it harder for emergency responders to get through our community. Removing these bike lanes makes sense for our community and it cannot be done soon enough."
Quick Facts
A new report from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis finds that gridlock in Ontario is significantly impacting commuters’ quality of life and costing the economy $56 billion a year.
The province is helping Toronto fight gridlock by providing the city with up to $73 million in funding to accelerate construction on the Gardiner Expressway. Phase II of the project began four months ahead of schedule.
The province is also considering various options to reduce congestion on Highway 401 in Toronto.
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