A group of health-care professionals in Ontario convened in downtown Toronto on Tuesday to criticize the provincial government’s proposal to eliminate bike lanes on three main roads throughout the city. Physicians, nurses, and other frontline workers gathered at University Avenue and Gerrard Street for a press briefing to highlight the dangers posed by inadequate road infrastructure for cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists, and to share anecdotes of individuals affected by road incidents.
Dr. Samantha Green, a family physician in Toronto and co-founder of Doctors for Safe Cycling, emphasized that the decision to remove bike lanes lacks factual support. Stressing the importance of bike lanes in saving lives, she noted the strong community support in Toronto for retaining the bike lanes. Doctors for Safe Cycling disclosed that approximately 650 health-care workers endorsed a petition urging the government to reconsider its intentions.
The coalition’s press conference follows a ruling by the Ontario Court of Appeal permitting Premier Doug Ford’s administration to dismantle 19 kilometers of protected bike lanes in Toronto back in August, overturning a previous judgment from July 2025. While legislation enabling the removal of bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue was enacted in 2024, its execution was delayed due to legal challenges by advocacy groups like Cycle Toronto.
Despite objections, the Ford government announced its plans to proceed with the removal and reconfiguration of bike lanes on the designated streets. The Ministry of Transportation spokesperson stated that the government was responding to public demands to alleviate traffic congestion, citing an annual economic loss of over $56 billion due to traffic congestion. Internal documents submitted during the legal proceedings revealed concerns that removing bike lanes might not effectively address gridlock and could escalate road accidents.
The province intends to invest $210 million in alternate measures like speed bumps and roundabouts to enhance road safety and mitigate traffic issues. Dr. Edward Xie, an emergency physician and assistant professor at the University of Toronto, underscored the challenges faced by medical professionals due to inadequate street safety measures. He highlighted the range of injuries resulting from road accidents and the strain on emergency departments, cautioning that the removal of bike lanes could exacerbate these issues.
With concerns looming over the impact of ongoing bike lane removal projects on Toronto’s busiest streets, the health-care workers emphasized the critical need for safe road infrastructure to prevent injuries and fatalities.