As any rider has seen if you live in a city with bike lanes–a car stopped is not only annoying, it’s dangerous. However, it seems like something is being done in Toronto–but maybe not enough, yet, according to some.
Police handed out a record number of tickets to drivers blocking Toronto bike lanes in 2025, according to a report by Toronto Today.
More than a whopping 17,000 fines were issued last year. That’s a jump of over 6,000 compared to 2024. It’s the highest total in at least six years. The increase follows more focused policing efforts, with officers concentrating on hotspots where violations are frequently reported.
Hamilton just OK’d a massive hike in fines for parking in bike lanes
Advocates say the crackdown is long overdue. Michael Longfield of Cycle Toronto noted that vehicles in bike lanes are more than an inconvenience.|
“When it comes to parking in bike lanes, this isn’t just a question of one person’s convenience over another,” he said. “It puts people’s lives at risk.”
The danger of blocking bike lanes
Incidents like a fatal 2024 collision in Yorkville. A rider was forced to veer out of a blocked lane and into a truck’s path.
“As cycling infrastructure continues to expand across the city, parking enforcement officers are spending more time proactively monitoring these locations to ensure bike lanes remain clear and safe for cyclists,” a Toronto Police Service spokesperson said.
More enforcement
Police say the rise in tickets is tied to both expanded cycling infrastructure and more proactive enforcement. Even brief stops in bike lanes, drivers idling or running quick errands, are being targeted. You know, the whole “just two minutes” thing can disrupt traffic flow for cyclists just as much as parked vehicles.
Higher fines introduced in 2024 may also be influencing behavior. Although, clearly it ain’t dissuading everyone, given that violations remain widespread.
Longfield argues the issue goes beyond enforcement. Painted lanes still dominate much of Toronto’s network. And, as the saying goes, “paint ain’t infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, Toronto is still in the middle of a seemingly never-ending debacle with bike lanes.
Proposed removals of popular and major Toronto bike lanes by Premier Doug Ford and his government sparked a court battle. It all happened after the provincial government moved to take greater control over municipal road decisions. A judge sided with cycling advocates, ruling that dismantling the lanes would jeopardize rider safety. But that wasn’t the end of it. No, siree Bob. Except, the government appealed it…and now it’s a waiting game to see what’s next.