Will Removing Bike Lanes Impact Cyclist Safety?

Ontario, and Toronto in specific, remains a heated subject for bike lane controversy.

Those who support the removal of bike lanes argue that reclaiming road space for motor vehicles would alleviate traffic congestion and get rid of congestion. The opposition cites, however, that removing the bike lanes would endanger cyclist safety and the overall health of other vulnerable road users.

The burning question at the centre of the dispute is: would removing bike lanes have an impact on cyclist safety in the long run?

Evidence indicates the impacts may be far greater than anticipated. Studies of policy, policy analysis, and reactions from communities indicate that stripping cycling infrastructure generally has the opposite impact. Rather than alleviating congestion, it makes the situation worse by increasing the number of crashes, forcing cyclists into mixed traffic, and decreasing active transportation.

The ripple effect leads to higher healthcare costs, more injuries, and decreased community health. While it appears to be an easy fix for drivers, it can create bigger safety and financial problems for the entire city.

Why Removing Bike Lanes to Ease Congestion Can Backfire

Proponents of bike lane removal typically argue that it will free up more room for cars, reduce congestion, and lower commuting time.

On the surface, the argument is logical: fewer restrictions on car lanes should mean more capacity and better traffic flow. In practice, evidence shows the opposite, the elimination of dedicated bike lanes actually results in more car traffic, worsens traffic congestion, and compromises road safety.

Once protective bike infrastructure is dismantled, a majority of cyclists no longer perceive cycling in mixed traffic with automobiles, trucks, and buses as safe. This shift prompts them to abandon bicycles and adopt driving as an alternative. The result? More drivers on the road, more competition for limited space, and more congestion. What was meant to eradicate gridlock in fact makes the problem worse.

All the cities that have invested in separated bike lanes and protected bike lanes report the same positive news.

This includes:

• Fewer bike and pedestrian collisions.
• Improved road safety for all vulnerable road users, including distracted pedestrians.
• Healthier citizens because people are more inclined to cycle or walk rather than drive.
• Reduced pressure on emergency response services and long-term health costs since there are fewer serious injuries.

On the contrary, the removal of bike lanes risks undoing these successes. Without safe bike lanes, collisions increase, emergency services are placed under further strain, and communities miss out on the overall benefits of active transport.

That is, what may seem like a quick fix for congestion has negative impacts on security, well-being, and urban living.

Removing Bike Lanes Idea: Supporters vs. Critics

The concept of eliminating or eliminating bike lanes in Toronto has been divisive for communities, planners, and policymakers. While the question is framed as one of traffic congestion and road safety, the genuine debate is about competing priorities: the interests of motor vehicles against the safety of vulnerable road users, relief to drivers short-term vs long-term sustainable city development.

Supporters of Erasing Bike Lanes

Supporters of erasing bike lanes usually are angry commuters, drivers, and politicians who believe that motor traffic should take precedence.

Some of their strongest arguments are:

• Alleviating congestion: By repossessing space lost to reserved bike lanes for cars, they propose that car traffic might move more freely, especially during rush hours.
• Access to emergency services: Supporters mention congested arteries like University Avenue, Avenue Road, and Yonge Street, arguing ambulances, fire engines, and police vehicles struggle to move when lanes are narrow.
• Unused capacity: Others explain that painted lines and legal bike lanes remain unused, as automobiles get congested. In their opinion, the elimination of lanes would maximize road utilization.
• Political alignment: The Ford government and some voices in the provincial government camp suggest that pleasing drivers, the majority of commuters, is more realistic than funding costly cycling infrastructure.

Critics of Removing Bike Lanes

Skeptics greet these arguments with solid facts that removing bike lanes not only undoes progress in cyclist safety but is detrimental to the city overall.

Some of their points are:

• Rising cyclist risks: Taking away protected bike lanes forces cyclists onto mixed traffic roads where there is a greater chance of colliding with automobiles, trucks, and buses. This increases the danger of cycling crashes resulting in severe injury or fatality.
• Impact on other vulnerable road users: Other vulnerable road users are not cyclists alone. Even pedestrians, children, and the elderly who are distracted are benefited by quieter roads that safe cycling lanes ensure. Removing the lanes takes away that safety buffer.
• Public health consequences: Less safe lanes mean fewer people cycling, undermining active lifestyles and contributing to healthcare costs in the long term.
• Financial and legal risks: When a city intentionally removes safety infrastructure and accidents rise, it can be subject to possible financial costs and liability claims.
• Urban development: Critics highlight that lane removal is a step back in sustainable urban development, removing away from reducing emissions, promoting active transport, and building healthier communities.

How Safe Do Dedicated Lanes Keep Cyclists?

Studies confirm that protected bike lanes with low concrete walls, car buffers, and clearly painted lines reduce collisions. Segregated bike lanes on Bloor Street West, Bloor Street, and Street and University Avenue have improved road safety for cyclists and other vulnerable road users, all while ensuring accessibility for emergency responders.

Without safeguarded bike lanes, cyclists are forced into high-speed motor traffic, exposing them to dump truck collisions, collisions at unprotected intersections, and life-changing injuries.

Consequences of Eliminating Bike Lanes

Removing bike lanes affects not only cyclists, it has a chain reaction on the entire city:

• Increased cycling collisions and traffic trauma.
• Increased health costs from such injuries as spinal injury or head injury.
• Decreased community well-being and access to active transportation.
• Negative economic effects on neighbourhood businesses that depend on increased cyclist and walker traffic.
• Possible lawsuit against the provincial government or municipalities for failure to fix safety concerns.

Briefly, removing lanes can seem like a way to alleviate congestion, but it can worsen.

Injuries in Cycling Accidents Can Be Life-Altering

Bicycle accidents oftentimes lead to life-altering injuries: spinal cord damage, head injury, fractures, and sometimes death. Directing cyclists into mixed car traffic with no safety of bike lanes increases the likelihood of such horrible outcomes.

If you or someone you care about has been injured in a bicycle accident, you may be entitled to sue for medical expenses, lost income, and future care.

When to Speak with a Cyclist Accident Lawyer

An experienced and effective personal injury lawyer will:

• Investigate the location of the accident and assess whether proper cycling infrastructure was present
• Advise on legal rights and options for receiving compensation
• Collaborate with lawyers to prove how eliminating bike lanes was a contributing factor in unsafe driving conditions
• Negotiate with the insurance company to seek a fair settlement

Make an appointment for a free consultation today to talk about your legal options and protect your rights as a cyclist.

The debate over will removing bike lanes impact cyclist safety isn’t just about convenience, it’s about road safety, public health, and the future of urban life in Ontario. Eliminating bike lanes may seem like a way to reduce congestion, but the evidence shows it will make the problem worse: more accidents, increased traffic, higher costs, and reduced community well-being.

Investing in more bike lanes, not fewer, is the path toward safer streets, healthier communities, and sustainable urban development.