🚗 Ontario Restoring Vehicle Lanes on Toronto’s Busiest Streets

Tuesday, 01 September 2026 12:00.PM

- Province issues request for proposals following recent Court of Appeal ruling and begins restoring vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West -

Following the recent ruling from the Ontario Court of Appeal, the provincial government has issued a request for proposals (RFP) 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 province is also immediately beginning to restore motor vehicle lanes on Bloor Street West, starting east of a 600-metre section at Clissold Road where vehicle lanes were restored in December 2025.

“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.”

The province has issued an RFP to study and provide design options for restoring vehicle 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. 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 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.

"RCCAO supports infrastructure solutions that recognize the diverse ways Ontarians move through our communities. Well-planned infrastructure is about creating transportation networks that serve everyone. The Province's efforts to restore vehicle capacity while maintaining bike lanes where possible strikes an important balance between mobility, safety, and accessibility. RCCAO supports investments and policies that advance integrated infrastructure solutions and meet the needs of residents, businesses, and communities."
- Nadia Todorova, Executive Director, Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO)

Quick Facts

• The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 and Plan to Protect Ontario Act, 2025 require the restoration of motor vehicle lanes on specified sections of roadways in the city of Toronto.
• In December 2025, the Ontario government completed work to restore a vehicle lane and maintain a bike lane on a 600-metre section of Bloor Street West from Resurrection Road to Clissold Road.
• A report from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis found that gridlock in Ontario is costing the province $56 billion a year.

SOURCE: Ministry of Transportation