Toronto cyclists protest Ontario’s bike lane removals at Queen’s Park

TORONTO — Dozens of cycling advocates and protesters spent their Halloween decrying Ontario’s contentious decision to continue removing bike lanes across Toronto.

The protest comes at the heels of Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria’s announcement on Friday that bike lanes along Bloor Street West in Etobicoke have been officially removed.

“We heard from communities, and that’s why we moved forward on this first part of removal on Bloor Street West,” Sarkaria told CP24 Breakfast, who cited low usage of the lanes as reason for removing them. “The remainder of which will come subsequent in the next construction cycle.”

The 1.2 kilometre stretch of bike lanes has caused tension between construction crews and cycling advocates who showed up to protest the removal in recent weeks, leading to the arrest of four people largely related to mischief.

That unease between protesters and police has caused a sense of unease among the cycling community, said Michael Longfield, executive director of Cycle Toronto, a member-supported charity. But the mood on Saturday afternoon was full of optimism.

Cycle Toronto and other advocacy groups have asked the Supreme Court of Canada to weigh in on Ford’s plans and appeal an Ontario Court of Appeal ruling that allowed the removal of protected bike lanes.

“The premier might have taken one kilometre from us but folks are ready to defend the remaining 18,” he said.

Protesters showed up on the lawns of Queen’s Park with decorative bikes and signs on their backs, such as “Bike Lanes Save Lives.” Others showed up in their Halloween costumes while volunteers passed out candy and chocolates.

A skeleton wore a bright orange shirt while mounted on a bike nearby.

Longfield believes there’s still time to change Premier Doug Ford’s mind about the bike lanes, despite the provincial government’s insistence that removing the lanes around sections of Bloor Street, Yonge Street, Avenue Road and around Queen’s Park would ease traffic congestion.

Longfield said bike lanes became a hot topic issue during Toronto’s municipal election and became a conversation among voters.

“If anything, Torontonians have elected even stronger voices on cycling,” he said, referring to Mayor Olivia Chow who has just been re-elected for a second term.

Oda Al-anizi, a disability rights advocate who lives with a spinal cord injury, has been using Toronto’s bike lanes for the last few years because of a new e-bike attachment to his wheelchair that allows him to move around the city more easily.

“The city has been more open to me and I’ve been able to more easily have a social life or go to work,” he said.

Al-anizi, a longtime Toronto resident, said bike lanes are an issue for people with disabilities and mobility issues, especially for those who don’t feel seen by drivers on the road or have accessible transit modes.

“Drivers can’t see sometimes, I am pretty low and (they) can get aggressive,” he said “For me, it’s very important to be in a dedicated space for bike lanes, it makes me feel a lot more safe.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Oct. 31, 2026.

Sadeen Mohsen, The Canadian Press