Ontario starts tearing out bike lanes on Toronto's Bloor Street as cyclists protest

of protected bike lanes targeted by the province

19 km

Crews began removing bike lanes on Bloor Street West in Etobicoke on Tuesday, the start of a provincial plan to overhaul up to 19 kilometres of the city's protected lanes.

Cyclists tried for a second day on Wednesday to block the work, and police arrested a 25-year-old demonstrator from Hamilton, charged with mischief and obstructing a peace officer.

The province's own report

An engineering report commissioned by the province found any congestion benefit from removing the lanes would be negligible or short-lived, and predicted the lanes cut crashes by 35 to 50 per cent.

The fight lands two weeks before Toronto's mayoral election: Mayor Olivia Chow calls the removal a waste of money, while challenger Brad Bradford supports taking out the Etobicoke lanes.