Toronto Council meets today! We’re supposed to get a new report on the implications of Doug Ford’s transit map, but it’s not available yet even though the meeting has started. Weird! Anyway, watch live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suPeFu-kGh8
To get yourself primed, the new issue of @cityhallwatcher is another giant-sized issue, with analysis of the provincial transit map, the Ontario budget and a council preview. https://x.com/GraphicMatt/status/1117896283019022340
Making the King Street Transit Pilot permanent will be Council’s first debate this morning. I expect a bit of opposition from some suburban councillors, but with Tory’s support I am pretty confident the votes are there to keep it. http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.EX4.2
Nunziata says the report on the provincial transit map is still in the works. City Manager Chris Murray probably staring at his computer screen, trying to figure out the perfect kicker.
Councillor Josh Matlow thinks it’s kinda weird councillors will need to debate this transit report right after they receive it, with little time to review it first. Asking the mayor to consider holding the debate tomorrow. TBD.
Board of Health request that the province reinstate/maintain funding for safe injection sites, and engage with the federal government to support the sites, CARRIES 20-2.
“I think the King Street Pilot from a value-for-money basis has been an unprecedented success,” says Transportation GM Barbara Gray. She says other cities have been calling and visiting to check it out and implement their own versions.
At just $3 million in pilot + permanent costs and with 12K ridership growth plus travel time/headway improvements, there’s a real case to be made that the King Street Transit Pilot is the most cost-effective public transportation project in the city’s history.
To achieve a similar cost-to-new-rider ratio, the $4 billion one-stop Scarborough Subway, for example, would need to attract at least 16 million new riders a day. (Total TTC subway system ridership per day is about 1.3 million.)
Councillor Stephen Holyday has a motion to remove King Street Pilot traffic restrictions after 7 p.m.
Holyday also a motion to exempt electric vehicles from King Street Pilot traffic restrictions.
Councillor Stephen Holyday introduced his motions while literally wearing rose-coloured glasses, in an attempt to demonstrate that councillors are being too positive about the King Street Transit Pilot.
Councillor Jim Karygiannis wants Wheel-Trans-contracted taxis to be exempt from King Street Pilot traffic exemptions.
Karygiannis says he is “dreading” that future streets may also get the King Street Transit Pilot treatment. He worries Bayview or Avenue Road could be next.
Councillor Anthony Perruzza moves to exempt motorcycles and scooters from King Street Transit Pilot rules.
Councillor Perruzza has a motorcycle and says it is the quickest way for him to get from his suburban home to his office at City Hall.
This is a very long speech extolling the virtues of motorcycles.
Mayor John Tory is the last speaker. He has a small tweak, asking that staff continue to monitor all-day transit performance on King Street.
Tory again praises former chief planner (and election opponent) @jen_keesmaat for the consultation process for the King Street Transit Pilot.
Tory says he won’t support any of the motions to add exemptions today. Sticking with staff recommendations.
Councillor Holyday’s motion to remove traffic restrictions on King Street after 7 p.m. FAILS 6-19.
Holyday motion to exempt electric vehicles from King Street traffic restrictions FAILS 3-22.
Karygiannis motion to exempt taxis working for Wheel-Trans from traffic restrictions FAILS 7-18.
Councillor Perruzza’s motion to exempt motorcycles and scooters from King Street traffic restrictions FAILS 9-16.
Mayor Tory’s motion to continue to monitor performance of King Street Transit Pilot CARRIES 25-0.
The new transit report is not ready yet. Tory suggests delaying the debate to 4 p.m. today.
Matlow is not happy with this. He says it’s unreasonable to expect councillors to read an important transit report while in the midst of a Council meeting. He wants the debate scheduled for tomorrow morning.
But the mayor has pretty much unlimited power to schedule debate for key items. So there’s nothing Matlow can do. The transit debate is set for 4 p.m. today. Report coming soon.
Council is now going into private session to discuss appointees to the Exhibition Place Board and the Zoo Board.
Even though it’s permanent, I feel like people are going to refer to it as the “King Street Pilot” for, like, the next decade, absent a better name. Anyone have any ideas? King Street Transitway?
Credit where it is due: if you had told me in 2014 that new mayor John Tory would implement a permanent transit priority zone on King Street, I would have been… skeptical. But he did it.
Council votes 22-0 to request the province support Toronto Public Health and maintain the current funding formula.
Council votes 19-3 to request the provincial government stop their planned reduction in the number of Ontario public health units.
Council now on lunch. Still no transit report from the City Manager. My advice as a professional writer: just end it with “in the end, time will tell.” It’s hacky but gets the job done. Not every piece can be a home run.
The new transit report is here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-132117.pdf (PDF)
New report from Toronto City Manager recommends city work with province to evaluate new transit map. If it in fact addresses city/TTC objectives, then they can consider coming on board with funding.
Report has the city continuing to work on one-stop Scarborough subway project while city/province evaluate three-stop. City has spent $182.5, so far on subway, and will spend between $7.5m-$10m per month going forward. “Staff will use best efforts to minimize throw-away costs”
“This report recommends the City seek reimbursement for sunk costs associated with any change in project scope.”
Don’t miss Attachment 1 to this report. The city has a list of 61 technical questions for the province about their various transit proposals. https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2019/cc/bgrd/backgroundfile-132117.pdf (PDF)
Another change in the Ontario budget for the TTC: provincial inspectors will now have full access to the TTC’s stuff.
Some bureaucratic fightin’ words from Toronto’s City Manager on municipalities no longer getting their promised increased share of the provincial gas tax (PGT).
It is kind of amazing how backwards this process is. Province could have sat down with the city and TTC in advance, shown them their map, and answered at least some of the city’s SIXTY ONE questions before holding their press conference.
Councillor Perks moves for council to recess for an hour so everyone has time to read this new transit report. Tory supports the recess. Motion for recess til 3:15 carries 19-4.
But before recess, council votes 20-3 to appoint former councillor Peter Leon to the Exhibition Place board.
And council votes 18-5 to appoint former councillor Jonathan Tsao (and three others) to the Zoo board.
In non-transit news, Councillor Frances Nunziata has added a motion to the council agenda. Apparently there’s a shortage of swim instructors in the city, and it’s resulting in cancelled swimming lessons? http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2019.MM6.22
Council is back, streaming live here. Transit debate still scheduled for 4 p.m., so we’re doing some noise bylaw debate in the interim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZFpXvyFc04
Toronto noise bylaw reforms have been in the works since 2015. And they may not get adopted today: some groups have written to councillors urging a two-month deferral.
As part of the noise bylaw reforms, the maximum fine for making a lot of noise in Toronto is proposed to increase from $5,000 to $100,000.
The new noise bylaw would also ban using loud power devices like lawnmowers or leaf blowers after 7 p.m. (Currently, you can use ‘em until 9 p.m.) Apologies to evening yard work enthusiasts.
New noise bylaw proposes limit on motorcycle noise — “any sound exceeding 92 dB(A) from the exhaust outlet as measured at 50cm, while the motorcycle engine is at idle.” https://x.com/huginho82/status/1118235656206024706
One of my favourite things about bylaws is the incredibly specific definitions of things. Here’s how they’ve defined “motor vehicle.” Glad they clarified they do NOT mean a self-propelled implement of husbandry.
Enough of that noise. Council pauses the bylaw debate to start talking transit. Stream is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZFpXvyFc04
City Manager Chris Murray says the province is holding a technical briefing later this week about the new transit map, and he hopes that’s where the city can get more detail.
TTC chair Jaye Robinson asks City Manager how likely it is that provincial government reimburses city on transit costs incurred to date. “I will always remain optimistic,” says Murray.
Cressy asks if adding two stops to the Scarborough subway will delay the project. TTC staff confirm that it will. He asks if tunnelling Eg West will take longer. Planning staff say yes. He asks if Ontario Line will relieve Yonge subway capacity. Staff say they don’t know.
In questioning, City Manager Chris Murray has made it clear that council is NOT being asked to endorse the province’s transit map today. This is just about starting an evaluation process.
Councillor Josh Matlow taking issue with recommendation two in the City Manager’s report, which has language about council conditionally endorsing the provincial map. Seems like they could just delete this recommendation and leave the question of endorsement for later.
City Manager confirms city did not receive any advance notice of provincial gas tax cut.
Councillor James Pasternak asks about a westward extension of the Sheppard subway line. City staff they sent him an email about it recently. Pasternak says he’ll look for it.
Tory has a motion, changing the language of the city manager’s recommendation 2 from “endorse” to “consider endorsing.” Makes it clearer that Council is NOT giving any kind of thumbs up to Ford’s transit map at the moment.
Tory also a motion to look at accelerating Eg East LRT and waterfront transit, and to have the City Manager bring up those projects, state-of-good-repair and the gas tax cut during provincial upload negotiations.
Tory’s motion about Eglinton East LRT and waterfront transit is notable, because it opens the door to the city using money its previously allocated to projects like the Scarborough subway.
Councillor Gord Perks says he’ll support Tory’s motions, even though he doesn’t believe any part of the Ford transit map will get built. “Quite frankly Donald Trump will get his border wall before we see any of this,” he says.
Councillor Josh Matlow has a motion to delete the Scarborough subway project and instead go forward with an LRT plan.
TTC chair Jaye Robinson has a motion to have the city work with the province to develop phasing options for the Relief Line (Ontario Line) to ensure the important parts get built as fast as possible.
Robinson also has a motion to request the province give them the share of the provincial gas tax that was once promised, or to provide equivalent funding.
Council is done for the day. Transit debate will pick up again tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. See you back here then.
Toronto Council is back debating the provincial transit map. Streaming live here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVrNJ8RYE4c
Councillor Mike Colle moves that, if the city gets stuck paying for parts of the Ford transit map, the costs be itemized on the property tax bill as “The Provincial Transit Plan Tax Levy.”
Councillor Mike Layton on negotiating with the province on transit: “You’ve got to know when to fold them. You’ve got to know when to walk away. And you’ve got to know when to run.”
Some councillors start singing. Speaker Nunziata: “Okay, there’s no singing in the council chambers.”
“Sheppard is going to be the new Yonge Street of Scarborough,” says Councillor Karygiannis. He wants a Sheppard Subway, extended both ways so it runs from Pearson Airport to eastern Scarborough.
Councillor Shelley Carroll: “I should be standing on a point of privilege every time Councillor Karygiannis accuses those, because they don’t represent a ward in Scarborough, that they don’t CARE about Scarborough. It’s LUDICROUS! It’s LUDICROUS to keep saying that.”
Councillor Joe Cressy moves that council only consider endorsing the provincial transit map if it’s confirmed that it won’t result in “unreasonable delay” to planned Toronto transit projects.
Councillor Matlow’s motion to delete the Scarborough subway and go back to the LRT plan FAILS 8-18.
Mayor Tory’s motion to study provincial map and consider endorsing it later CARRIES 25-1.
Councillor Cressy’s motion to only endorse provincial map if it doesn’t result in unreasonable delays to Toronto transit projects CARRIES 22-4.
Mayor Tory’s motion to adopt amended staff recommendations re: provincial transit map CARRIES 23-3.
Councillor Robinson’s motion to work with province on phasing options for Relief Line to ensure the priority segment opens ASAP CARRIES 25-1.
Councillor Robinson’s motion to request the province restore increased share of provincial gas tax (or give the city $1.1 billion in equivalent funding) CARRIES 26-0.
Councillor Colle’s motion to list Toronto’s share of any transit costs as “The Provincial Transit Plan Tax Levy” on property tax bills CARRIES 18-8.
Council votes 22-4 to allocate PTIF funding for the Scarborough Subway extension — number of stops still TBD.
That got complicated so here’s a quick summary of what Toronto Council just voted to do: nothing. Staff will spend the next couple of months reviewing the provincial transit map. Report will come back to Council in June with recommendations. Council will hold important vote then
Council now back to debating the noise bylaw. Councillor Joe Cressy suggests Councillor Brad Bradford listens to a lot of EDM.
Councillor Matlow moves to defer the new noise bylaw to the June council meeting. Some resident groups have been pushing for this delay, citing a need for more review.
Matlow’s motion to defer the noise bylaw to June FAILS 7-15. Toronto is getting a new noise bylaw today.
Toronto’s new noise bylaw is APPROVED by Toronto Council with minimal amendment, 23-2.
Mayor John Tory has added a motion to Council’s agenda reaffirming Toronto’s support for freedom of religion and expression.
Back from lunch, Toronto Council votes 20-2 to request the provincial government suspend implementation of planned changes to the Ontario Autism Program.
Councillor Brad Bradford’s extremely good motion for a report on the potential for a City Hall Hansard that would provide meeting transcripts gets added to the agenda and is held for debate.
Councillor Mark Grimes attempts to add a motion about a property at 260 Eighth Street to the agenda. It doesn’t get the two-thirds vote it needs, 14-10. Grimes calls the result a disgrace. He blames Councillor Paula Fletcher for marshalling opposition to his motion.
Here’s the property at 260 Eighth Street. Apparently it’s being sold by the city. Grimes isn’t happy about it, saying his community deserves to have a say.
Council votes 18-5 to hear a presentation from the Lobbyist Registrar on the 2018 lobbying report.
The number of lobbyist registrations at Toronto City Hall increased from 1,015 in the 2010-2014 term to 1,802 in the 2014-2018 term.
Most frequent target of lobbying communications last term? Mayor John Tory’s office, by a wide margin.
Also: apparently the lobbyist registrar and other city departments have been learning about the blockchain.
Heck yeah. https://x.com/jpags/status/1118589248729436161
Councillor Paul Ainslie has moved that the majority of candidates recommended by the city for seats on the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Board be women. Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong is opposing it.
Councillor Ainslie’s motion that majority of recommended candidates for appointment to TRCA Board be women CARRIES 15-9.
Councillor Mike Colle’s motion requesting that the provincial government revoke liquor licenses for bars/restaurants that have been the scene of shootings CARRIES 19-4.
Council votes 20-2 to request a report on eliminating single-use plastic products at city facilities/events.
We’re on to the issue of whether City Hall should have its own Hansard meeting transcription service. City Clerk says it’ll likely be expensive. Deputy Mayor Minnan-Wong arguing the city already video records every meeting, and maybe that’s good enough.
Councillor Bradford’s request for a report on creating a City Hall Hansard transcription service for meetings CARRIES 12-8.
(If they do get a Hansard and also post instant vote results, I can retire!)
Mayor John Tory’s motion to affirm Toronto’s support for freedom of religion and expression in solidarity with Montreal City Council CARRIES 23-0.
And that marks the end of the April 2019 meeting of Toronto City Council.
If you enjoyed this thread and want to support this kind of independent coverage, consider subscribing to @cityhallwatcher — my weekly city hall newsletter. It costs just five bucks a month. https://graphicmatt.substack.com/about