More folks outside of cycling advocacy groups—which have been fighting in the ongoing bike-lane saga for several years now—have joined the fray. Ontario health-care workers are pushing back against the Ford government’s plan to remove protected bike lanes from three major Toronto roads.

Doctors, nurses and other front-line workers gathered Tuesday at University Avenue and Gerrard Street to argue that taking out bike lanes could make Toronto streets less safe for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

Doctors for Safe Cycling

Doctors for Safe Cycling says around 650 health-care workers have signed a letter asking the province to reconsider the plan to kibosh critical cycling infrastructure. This follows the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers (OSPE), which raised concerns about the same issue on Sept. 17.

Toronto cyclists ride ‘secondary roads’ to protest Ontario government’s plans to remove bike lanes

OSPE has actually been pretty vocal about this seemingly never-ending bike-lane battle from the start a few years ago.

The group first raised concerns about Bill 212 in November 2024 about the province’s limits on bike-lane construction. It also said that changes to environmental assessment rules could get in the way of safer, multi-modal transportation planning.

Data, data, data

Now, Doctors for Safe Cycling is making similar arguments that Cycle Toronto and other groups have opposed the province’s plans.

Toronto family physician Samantha Green, a co-founder of the coalition, said the decision to remove the lanes is “not based on evidence.”

“Bike lanes save lives,” Green told CBC Toronto, adding that the community wants the infrastructure to remain.

The province, meanwhile, continues to frame the changes as part of its push to tackle Toronto’s traffic problems, despite data saying otherwise. Ontario passed legislation in 2024 allowing the province to remove bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue, and announced earlier this month that work would proceed. The government has also moved to limit municipalities’ control over bike-lane infrastructure, including existing and planned lanes.

The appeal of the Charter challenge

A Court of Appeal for Ontario ruling in August cleared the way for the province to remove about 19 kilometres of protected bike lanes. The decision overturned a lower-court ruling from July 2025 that had blocked the government’s plans following a legal challenge from Cycle Toronto and other groups.

Ontario, however, continues to argue that restoring vehicle lanes will help ease congestion and keep traffic moving. The government also plans to spend $210 million on measures including speed bumps and roundabouts.
There are other concerns being raised by those who work in hospitals–and it has to do with cyclists involved in collisions from motorists. Emergency physician Edward Xie said doctors regularly see the consequences of unsafe road infrastructure. That includes serious injuries suffered in collisions.

He also warned that more cycling and road injuries could put additional pressure on already very, very busy emergency departments.

Since the appeal ruling, there have been several protest rides, including Toronto Critical Mass. You can find more information about upcoming rides and how to get involved on its Facebook page.