Overview

• Ontario Superior Court Justice Paul Schabas ruled that removing lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street and University Avenue would violate the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and increase the risk of harm and death.
• Premier Doug Ford denounced the decision as “the most ridiculous” he has ever seen and said it tramples on Ontarians’ democratic rights.
• The Ford government has filed plans to appeal to the Court of Appeal and has left open the possibility of invoking the notwithstanding clause.
• Provincial officials are working with Toronto to craft a compromise that would keep the bike lanes in place while adding extra lanes for motor vehicles.
• Expert evidence and city studies showed that removing the bike lanes would not ease congestion and would heighten safety risks for cyclists and pedestrians.