Well, well, well. The Ontario government has already spent close to $270 K on external lawyers in its legal battle to overturn a court decision that blocked the removal of bike lanes on major Toronto streets. This is according to documents obtained through a freedom of information request (FOI). The figures were first reported by CBC.
The spending relates to the province’s defence — and now appeal — of legislation introduced in late 2024 that targeted protected bike lanes on University Avenue, Bloor Street and Yonge Street. In July, Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas kiboshed the plan. He ruled that removing the lanes would place people “at increased risk of harm and death,” engaging Charter protections around life and personal security.
The appeal looms
Despite that ruling, the Ford government is pressing ahead with an appeal scheduled to be heard later this month. FOI records obtained by Cycle Toronto and reviewed by CBC indicate, up to the July decision, nearly 270,000 smackeroos had already been paid to outside legal counsel in the case brought by Cycle Toronto and two individual applicants. The total does not include the cost of government staff lawyers. It also doesn’t include the $200,000 in court-awarded costs the province was ordered to pay to the applicants.
Canadian Constitution Foundation to intervene in Ontario bike lane court appeal
Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, said the group requested the documents to understand what the legal fight was costing taxpayers. Longfield said the figure was…far, far higher than expected. He told CBC the money could have been directed toward more constructive solutions to Toronto’s congestion problems. Instead, he criticized what he called the government’s fixation on bike lanes, arguing it has delivered little benefit.
Better use of the cash?
Longfield suggested the funds could have supported transit projects already under provincial control. Things like resolving ongoing issues with the Finch West LRT or finally opening the long-delayed Eglinton Crosstown line.
Montreal residents form human bike lane to protest bike path removed for winter
The province has consistently argued that bike lanes worsen traffic congestion and slow emergency response times, despite this being debunked on several occasions. In fact, internal Ministry of Transportation documents obtained last year indicated officials were aware that removing lanes was unlikely to meaningfully…
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