The Ford government is moving ahead with a plan to remove bike lanes on major Toronto streets.

Following the recent ruling from the Ontario Court of Appeal, the provincial government has issued a request for proposals to begin “the process of restoring motor vehicle lanes that were previously removed for bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, Queen’s Park, Queen’s Park Crescent and Avenue Road in Toronto,” the Ministry of Transportation said in a press release today.

The province is also immediately beginning to remove bike lanes on Bloor Street West, starting east of a 600-metre section at Clissold Road.

“Our government was given a clear and direct mandate by the people of Ontario to fight gridlock, including by restoring motor vehicle lanes that are needed to keep drivers moving,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation. “We’re keeping our promise. Under Premier Ford’s leadership, we’re getting people and goods moving again and giving commuters back more of their time.”

Cycling enthusiasts have protested the removal. A rally on Aug. 28 drew hundreds of riders.

“Thousands of people rely on these bike lanes every day to get around safely and conveniently,” Cycle Toronto says on its website. “Removing them would erase years of progress toward a healthier, more livable city, at a time when Ontarians are facing an unprecedented foreign threat. All levels of government should be working together, not creating new fights.”

But the province is moving ahead and has issued a request for proposals to remove bike lanes on sections of Bloor Street, Yonge Street, University Avenue, Queen’s Park, Queen’s Park Crescent and Avenue Road.

The RFP will also identify options to retain or reconfigure bike lanes, where they make sense and do not make gridlock worse, the province said.

“To get drivers moving quickly, the vehicle lane restoration process will immediately begin on the west section of Bloor Street West starting at Clissold Road, where minimal design work is required,” the province added.

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The RFP follows Ontario’s successful appeal of a court challenge to the province’s bike lane framework. The Court of Appeal unanimously found that decisions about the design of public roadways are policy matters for the elected Legislature, not the courts, the province said.

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