Cyclists and advocates are planning a rally in downtown Toronto on the eve of the Ontario government’s appeal of a court ruling that blocked the removal of protected bike lanes.
The rally is taking place Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5:30 p.m. It will take place outside the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The event is one day before the province is set to argue its appeal on Jan. 28.
The Charter challenge
The appeal stems from a decision released in July 2025. Then, Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas struck down the province’s plan to remove protected bike lanes on major Toronto routes. He ruled it unconstitutional and a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Schabas found that removing physically separated bike lanes would expose cyclists and other road users to an increased risk of serious injury or death.
“The evidence is clear that restoring a lane of motor vehicle traffic will create greater risk to cyclists and to other users of the roads,” Schabas wrote in his decision.
The appeal
The ruling found the government’s plan breached Section 7 of the Charter. That section guarantees the right to life, liberty and security of the person.
The judge also rejected the province’s argument that bike lanes significantly worsen congestion. He described the evidence as “weak anecdotal evidence and expert opinion which is unsupported, unpersuasive and contrary to the consensus view.”
After the news, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the ruling on the bike lane law, was “ridiculous.”
The legal challenge was brought by Cycle Toronto along with other cycling and road safety advocates. They argued the legislation — known as Bill 212 — was arbitrary and dangerous.
Bill 212
The bill was fast-tracked in late 2024 and granted the province the power to override municipal decisions on cycling infrastructure. While a revised version passed in 2025 changed the language from “removal” to “reconfiguration,” the court found the revised bill still violated the Charter.
The Ministry of Transportation confirmed shortly after the July ruling that the province would appeal.
“We were elected by the people of Ontario with a clear mandate to restore lanes of traffic. And get drivers moving by moving bike lanes off of major roads to secondary roads,” the ministry said at the time.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s office welcomed the court decision, reiterating that municipal infrastructure decisions should remain with city council.
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