Hundreds of cyclists surrounded the construction trucks sent to remove a protected bike lane in Toronto, Canada. The trucks drove away.
The next day, police moved in on the Toronto bike lane removal protest.
The Trucks Turned Back on Bloor Street
On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, Ontario’s provincial government planned to start removing the protected bike lane on Bloor Street West in Etobicoke, in Toronto’s west end.
The province says removing the lanes will ease traffic congestion. A 2024 Ontario law, Bill 212, gave it the power to take them out.
From around 5 p.m., cyclists, including many children, looped the intersection. Shortly after 8 p.m., they surrounded the trucks.
Crews left under police escort as protesters chanted “Get home safe.”
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria wrote: “Make no mistake: these bike lanes are coming out.”
An Arrest, Then the Barriers Came Out
Crews returned in daylight on Wednesday, October 14. Protesters sat in the lane until police cleared them and arrested a 25-year-old woman for mischief and obstructing a peace officer.
Crews began pulling out the concrete barriers along about 0.6 miles (1 km) of Bloor.
“That is lawful work that is going to continue,” said Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw.
A protester’s photo shows two tacks in a flat tire. The person who shared it says nails were thrown across the bike lanes on the way to the protest. No police statement has addressed the claim.
What Comes Next
The removals are the first phase of a plan to take out up to 12 miles (19 km) of protected bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue.
Mayor Olivia Chow proposed restoring a car lane while keeping the bike lanes. The province rejected it.
A lower court ruled the plan an unconstitutional risk to cyclist safety. The Ontario Court of Appeal overturned that ruling in August.
Cycle Toronto is seeking leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. A lawyer for the group said a court stay could stop the work “likely in the spring, on the remaining bike lanes.”
In Salt Lake City, Utah, a florist wants a bike route removed.
Watch Cyclists Ride the Car Lanes in Toronto
Footage shared online shows cyclists riding in Toronto’s general traffic lanes.
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