What a loss for Toronto! After nine years, Barbara Gray will retire from her position as the City's Transportation Services general manager. Toronto must ensure Barbara's permanent successor prioritizes #BikeTO, #WalkTO & #TTC over driving. #TOpoli www.thestar.com/news/gta/its...

‘It’s been a good ride’: Toron...

It was a full house at tonight's Toronto budget town hall at St Lawrence Market North Building! While affordable housing & transit were obviously among the top priorities, a couple of newer ones emerged including "doing unsexy work" of repairing buildings and climate action. #TOpoli #BudgetTO

On my way home from the #BudgetTO town hall, I checked out the new Esplanade #BikeTO lanes from Market to Scott. While it's great people are using them already, the pavement quality is poor and there is a potential conflict area just east of Scott which needs some sorting out to do. #TOpoli

Before the small table discussions, the #BudgetTO presentation showed what Toronto did since Chow took office, as well as dropped a Taylor Swift reference. While her six Eras Tour shows generated almost $300M, the City only got back about $300K of it! This is why Toronto needs revenue tools! #TOpoli

At my small group table, a university student & his mom made some excellent points of city staff needing to go to where the people are such as universities and high schools to get youth involved, as well as parent teacher councils. While we're at it, why not also farmer's markets? #TOpoli #BudgerTO

Me going to #TObudget town halls

#TOpoli

Facilitator (reading question off form): "What will you tell other people about this event?"

Me: "uhh, I've been liveposting this on social media the entire time, so I'm already telling everyone about it"

#TOpoli #TObudget

The facilitator refuses to write down my suggestion for an armed uprising and mass strikes

#TOpoli #TObudget

"At one point we had the lowest number of police officers per capita in North America"

I let out the tiniest "woo"

Conforti (para): you could cut the entire fire department and paramedics, close every library, and that would still leave a $150 million gap

That's peanuts, also, there are totally politicians who would absolutely do that

#TOpoli #TObudget

"Senior city staff will be going table to table, listening in and asking questions" okay I shouldn't be here. I am, like, not a civilian. This is awkward

#TOpoli #TObudget

It's all I can do not to be like, "ACTUALLY, property tax is based on the change in your property's assessed value relative to others in the area and so overall—"

Carroll: "We are the only city [of this size] in the world trying to survive on property tax." This is genuinely a surprise to me. Anyway this is probably something that is not changing in the foreseeable future, not for the better anyway.

My practical and completely serious suggestion is "mob with literal torches and pitchforks in front of Doug Ford's house".

#TOpoli #TObudget

There's a table for 311 where we can ask them, quote, "anything". I can't express how excited this makes me, because I've got some BURNING QUESTIONS I e-mailed, like, two different people about and still haven't heard back from.

Anyway, mayor now giving a speech going over various budget-related accomplishments. Various downtown councillors are here along with City staff (and volunteers helping with the event).

Really glad I wolfed down a sandwich before this

#TOpoli #TObudget

The actual budget launch isn't till January. These are pre-budget consultations, something which budget chief Shelley Carroll was keen to bring back under Chow.

Key dates: https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/budget-finances/city-budget/how-to-get-involved-in-the-budget/

#TOpoli #TObudget

At the downtown #budgetTO public consultation at the North St. Lawrence Market building. I have no idea why

It looks like it's kind of like a standard ward-level budget consultation but, like, 10 times bigger, and with lots of senior-level City staff (CFO, etc.)

Updates are likely to be as much about the progress of my social anxiety as City finances.

#TOpoli #TObudget #WhatHashtagIsItAnyway

Per @graphicmatt.com's latest column, "While driving around Toronto is only going to get worse, that doesn’t mean getting around Toronto can’t get better. Walking can get better. Cycling can get better. Transit can certainly get better." #BikeTO #WalkTO #TTC #TOpoli www.thestar.com/opinion/star...

Matt Elliott: Without acknowle...

The Facebook algorithm has started serving up Councillor Brad Bradford’s posts to me. There is a definite skew towards photo ops outside his ward as he runs for mayor over a year early, and a definite skew towards racist comments about our current mayor in the comments. Makes me sad.

#TOPoli

One gem I found when reading @lisastokes.bsky.social blog this morning is how Eastman QC has a public e-bike charging station. Something which Toronto and the rest of Ontario need to get on board with ASAP! #BikeTO #BikeSky #ottbike #HamOnt #TOpoli #ONpoli

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fndogwdzt4wiytqpcncc47kn/post/3m327z4sbfc25

One of the few things Toronto got right is Bike Share Toronto. It has grown from 80 stations in 2011 to almost 1000, while this July, August, and September each saw more than one million rides! Now if only infrastructure could keep up ... #BikeTO #TOpoli #VisionZero www.thestar.com/news/gta/how...

How Bike Share went from death...

Happy Thanksgiving! Given several #BikeTO public consultations are happening for Kingston Road, Sloane Avenue & Keele Street - along with those for the 2026 budget - my latest blog post rounds them up for your viewing pleasure. #BudgetTO #TOpoli #VisionZero www.twowheeledpolitics.ca/2025/10/octo...

October 2025 Consultation Roun...

Did a 20 km ride this afternoon to get some churros at Churros 92 near Eglinton and Dufferin. While the churros were hot, the repaved Eglinton without bike lanes was not. #BikeTO #TOpoli strava.app.link/nzPdHACkoXb