Slide titled “Toronto Island: Powerful Entry Point for New Riders, Delivered 216K Trips” detailing statistics on Bike Share use on Toronto Island.
With numbers like these, amazing that it took so long to get Bike Share on the island. The island docks alone accounted for ~10% of bike share revenue, with lots of new riders. People love biking on the island.
Slide titled “Fleet modernization” from linked presentation pdf (slide 13)
From today’s Parking Authority Board meeting: a sneak peek at a new Bike Share eBike model that’ll be tested across the system. The basket looks like it might be more useful than the ones on the current models. (via www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis...)
Table from URL showing scheduled streetcars in service versus the total fleet size.
50+ TTC streetcars sitting unused in a yard each day seems like a huge missed opportunity. (And should probably really annoy the federal and provincial govs who helped pay for them?) stevemunro.ca/2026/03/06/t...
“This is an economic driver,” Ford added, speaking of the waterfront airport a short drive from downtown. “A lot of people don’t want to be driving up to Pearson … give people an option.”
Hm, yes, if only the provincial government would provide an option as an alternative to driving to Pearson. Maybe some sort of… express? www.thestar.com/news/gta/dou...
My @thestar.com column: For 15 years, Doug Ford has had an obsession with Toronto’s waterfront, hyping up half-baked ideas. The latest? A busier airport and a mega convention centre.
But the waterfront has never needed Ford's ideas—and will be worse because of them.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #374!
John Tory’s out of the mayoral race! To mark the end of an era, I’ve got a COUNCIL SCORECARD-powered look at what’s changed since he left.
Also: notes on yacht club drama, a snow squad, and parking rates. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/closing-th...
Should start a pool on the number of parking spaces the Ford gov is going to include with this new convention centre plan for the Ex. www.thestar.com/politics/pro...
Her city councillor, Stephen Holyday, told the Toronto Sun he doesn’t get many complaints from constituents about the shelter – to the point that he finds it odd. He knows the shelter planned for 66 Third St. in a neighbouring ward has been divisive, but hasn’t seen anything like that level of opposition in central Etobicoke. “I’m a little surprised by that,” he said, “because I know the community that I live in are vocal about things, as they should be. “I would’ve thought I would’ve heard more from people just up the street and I didn’t – including people that I know in the community. I’m not sure what’s happening exactly.”
Puzzled by lack of complaints, Councillor Stephen Holyday thinks it’s kind of weird that his constituents aren’t vocally opposing a new homeless shelter. torontosun.com/news/local-n...
John Tory statement announcing he is not running for mayor.
Former mayor John Tory, via a 600-word, nine-paragraph statement: I’m out.
The story, as I read it:
- Carla Construction has run existing High Park “trackless train” for years.
- City issues RFP for new electric shuttle, Carla bids and wins.
- Carla reveals they can’t deliver, RFP cancelled.
- Carla gets two-year extension of current “trackless train’ deal.
Bit of a mess
Plans for a new electric shuttle within High Park have stalled after the company that won the bid via RFP revealed that, whoops, they can’t actually deliver the project. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
My @thestar.com column this week: there’s no science that can make sense of Doug Ford’s decision to move the Science Centre.
The new facility will cost more and deliver less — and waste a whole bunch of time that parents and kids will never get back.
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #373!
LOBBYIST WATCH marches in, with notes on AI-powered 311, sidewalk robots, a mayoral meeting, and more. Plus: the cops aren’t doing great at responding to FOI requests.
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/the-winter...
Generally, he said, that authority is well placed. Council doesn’t have time to “referee” millions of little bylaw deviations in construction — it needs to focus on big-picture zoning policy. If it weren’t for the committee, all council would have time for is minor variance requests, he said. And if decisions were left solely to planning staff, he said that would create a lack of transparency. The tradeoff is that by delegating to the committee, council loses its say in these matters. It can’t overturn committee decisions.
I dunno, I feel like ultimately the goal should be to have zoning rules in place that don’t require “millions of little bylaw deviations” just to get housing built. www.thestar.com/news/gta/six...
Some news! Mayor Chow is calling for a review of the Committee of Adjustment process, looking at ways to streamline things.
"Some recent CoA hearings and decisions have raised questions from stakeholders on how the CoA applies Council-approved policies," she says.
secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
A render of the new Ontario Science Centre building planned for Ontario Place. It’s a squat white building with lots of windows. It’s depicted at nighttime.
The provincial government has revealed some new renders of the Science Centre redux that’ll be built (eventually) at Ontario Place. What is that thing on the side of the building supposed to be - some kind of clock? www.ontario.ca/page/final-d...
My @thestar.com column: Doug Ford’s snap decision to ban speed cameras could take $50 million and THIRTEEN YEARS for Toronto to deal with.
The premier promised there’d be immediate alternatives for road safety. The problem: those alternatives don’t really exist. www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Potentially a Biden-esque risk for Chow where voters associate Tory with the pre-pandemic “good times” and Chow with the tougher times following, even though the timeline doesn’t really match up at all. www.torontotoday.ca/local/city-h...
Last year, Pride Toronto received $485,000 from the city, but that was immediately eaten up by the costs of running one of Toronto’s largest festivals, including $18,500 spent on city permits and $185,000 for police services, said the event’s executive director Kojo Modeste.
This process where the city gives grant money to festival organizers then immediately takes a big chunk of it back for policing and permits sure seems circular and bureaucratic. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Check your inbox: it's City Hall Watcher #372!
The COUNCIL DEFEATABILITY INDEX returns with another attempt to use math to figure out which council members might be vulnerable to a tough challenge this fall.
Plus: fancy trees, Heated Rivalry, and more. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/looking-ah...
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #371!
The final budget of the term is in the books! I’ve got your complete recap, with notes on police spending, reserve funds, Chow’s opposition, and an endless quest to bring back the leaf-sucking machines.
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/council-of...
However, Browne agreed with the assertion from another committee member, Coun. Vince Crisanti (Etobicoke North), that PDOs are often best qualified to oversee a construction site. It’s “definitely better” to have the officers for work that significantly alters the road network through turn restrictions or lane closures, because they have the power to enforce traffic laws, Browne said.
Would love to see stats on how many tickets paid-duty officers (PDOs) actually hand out these days. I can’t say I often see them doing any active “traffic enforcement,” unless playing some sort of racing game on their phone counts. www.thestar.com/news/gta/tor...
If you missed it yesterday, here’s a compiled thread of my council budget meeting coverage, featuring discussions of reserve funds, Taylor Swift, “the big fat feds”, the virtues of mechanical vacuum leaf collection, and the supposed vices of darn near everything else. tbsky.app/profile/grap...
And that's it. The FINAL budget of the 2022-2026 council term is in the books. It's all downhill from here.
If you enjoyed this thread and found it illuminating, show your gratitude with a subscription to my newsletter, City Hall Watcher. It keeps me going. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/subscribe
And all other budget matters CARRY 24-0.
Various budget recommendations related to the FIFA World Cup CARRY 22-2.
Budget recommendation to expand a program offering air conditioners to low-income seniors CARRIES 23-1.
Budget recommendation to request the TPA look at increasing parking rates for 2026 CARRIES 20-4.
Budget recommendation to suspend the Toronto Parking Authority's income share agreement, so that all net parking income will now flow direct to City Hall, CARRIES 20-4.
There was some confusion over what that vote was all about, so council opts for a re-do. On a re-vote, the 2026 property tax rates are APPROVED 19-5.
