The often-maligned bike lanes along Bloor Street West remain a hot topic as a group of Etobicoke business owners is banding together to sue the City of Toronto, its transportation manager and a city councillor.The lawsuit was filed in Ontario Superior Court on Friday, Feb. 21. The 40 business owners are seeking $10 million from the city for “negligence and nuisance” and named Etobicoke-Lakeshore councillor Amber Morley and Toronto’s Transportation Services General Manager Barbara Grey.In a statement, the City said they have received the statement of claim and will respond in due course. “The City has no further comment as the matter is before the court,” read their statement.The group is also requesting a court injunction to remove the bike lanes along Bloor Street West and restore the streets to their original condition.Cyclists ride on the designated Bloor Street bike lanes in Toronto on Oct. 12, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette.Cody MacRae is the founder of the non-profit community group Balance on Bloor. He says the community’s concerns about the bike lanes have been ignored. “It has caused huge suffering in our community. Whether it be senior citizens who can’t access businesses properly or people with disabilities who are complaining.”The Crooked Cue is among the 40 local businesses featured in the lawsuit. Sam Pappas has owned and operated the restaurant since 1992 and is a known opponent of the bike lanes, as the Crooked Cue is regarded as a frequent gathering place for those against them and where Ontario’s Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria made an announcement restricting new bike lanes on Oct. 15.Pappas is a board member of Balance on Bloor and maintained in the past that he’s had meetings with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and the provincial government concerning the Bloor Street West bike lanes.“From day one, the bike lanes on Bloor West have been poorly planned, sitting empty for half the year, hurting local businesses and making life harder for drivers and pedestrians,” Pappas said last month.Claudio DeMelo, the owner of ENBU hair on Bloor West, has been in the neighbourhood for over a decade and said cash flow has turned into a trickle, since the cycling infrastructure was installed last year.“Last year alone was our worst year ever … We do support cycling infrastructure when it’s done properly, this has just been an unmitigated disaster.”Province and city appear still at odds over bike lanesIn the fall, Doug Ford doubled down on the province’s plan to prevent future bike lanes from being built in cities if it means taking out other traffic lanes. The bill also allows the removal of the bike lanes on Bloor Street, Yonge Street, and University Avenue. Ford has often complained about bike lanes creating gridlock, particularly on Bloor Street West. The government did not indicate when the bike lanes would be removed. Last month, the Ford government hired an engineering firm to finalize the design for removing bike lanes from certain Toronto streets. The province’s “Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024” would require municipalities to ask the province for permission to install bike lanes when they remove a lane of vehicle traffic.The City of Toronto and Mayor Chow vehemently opposed the province’s legislation, which estimated that removing $27 million of bike lane infrastructure would cost $48 million. Chow has repeatedly called it an overreach by Ford and the province.Last June, Toronto’s city council approved several kilometres of new bike lanes despite some mayoral candidates, such as former Toronto police chief Mark Saunders, opposing the move.“Cyclists have cars. They use Bike Share, any number of different bikes, like e-bikes, to get around,” Chow said. “I can’t imagine what would happen if we yanked out some bike lanes. It would just make the [traffic] congestion worse.”Cyclists and advocates have long called for action to improve safety on Toronto’s streets following numerous fatalities and bikes struck by drivers on roadways.Executive Director of Cycle Toronto, Michael Longfield questioned the decision to sue the city.“The City of Toronto has voted on these bike lanes now at least four times. And each time it passes City Council. I understand folks may not be content with that decision, but there is actually a transparent and democratic process for how these projects happen.”Cycle Toronto currently has a legal challenge against the province over Bill 212. “The crux of our legal challenge is that removing these bikeways will put lives at risk,” shared Longfield.