Matt Elliott
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graphicmatt.com
Matt Elliott
@graphicmatt.com
9.3K followers 120 following 4.1K posts
City columnist, contributing to the Toronto Star & writing the award-winning City Hall Watcher newsletter. A lot about Toronto Politics and then some nerd stuff. Humber College prof. (he/him)
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Matt Elliott @graphicmatt.com · 18h
Check your inbox: it's City Hall Watcher #359!

A look at how each ward is doing on housing starts — and whether councillors and MPPs in Toronto are on track to hit the provincial housing target by 2031. Also: a classic Ford fact-check.

toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/handing-ou...
Handing out some housing report cards
City Hall Watcher #359: Some charts of which wards are contributed to Toronto's housing starts. Plus a provincial perspective and a Ford fact check
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
graphicmatt.com
Good news, balloonists. The City of Toronto is proposing an amendment to the parks bylaw that’ll remove specific restrictions on flying hot air balloons in parks. The city says the balloons are "outdated technology” but that sounds like a challenge to me. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Section from Toronto’s park bylaw with proposed edit — “gliders and hot air balloons” has been crossed out. 608-20. Gliders and hot air balloons Aircraft and gliders Unless authorized by permit, no person shall tether, launch or land any aircraft described in the Canadian Aviation Regulations including a hot air balloon, hang glider, ultra light aircraft or similar conveyance in a park.
November 25, 2025 at 4:12 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it's City Hall Watcher #359!

A look at how each ward is doing on housing starts — and whether councillors and MPPs in Toronto are on track to hit the provincial housing target by 2031. Also: a classic Ford fact-check.

toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/handing-ou...
Handing out some housing report cards
City Hall Watcher #359: Some charts of which wards are contributed to Toronto's housing starts. Plus a provincial perspective and a Ford fact check
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
November 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
graphicmatt.com
My @thestar.com column this week: A third-party review says Toronto’s streetcars are among the slowest in the world. But they don’t have to be.

Maintenace improvements, operational changes and a little political will could really speed things up.

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Matt Elliott: Toronto’s streetcars are some of the slowest in the world. Here’s how the city could speed them up
The TTC likes to blame the sluggish pace of streetcars on things beyond its control, but the data tells a different story.
www.thestar.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:23 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #358!

Your complete recap of last week’s Council meeting! I list the compromises made on corner stores, and try to solve the mystery of why Chow dissolved the parking board. Plus: quotable quotes!

toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/council-co...
Council comes to compromise on corner stores and — surprise! — disbands the TPA Board
City Hall Watcher #358: Your complete Toronto Council recap for November 2025, featuring votes on neighbourhood retail, the Toronto Parking Authority Board, snow, and more.
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:32 PM
graphicmatt.com
Toronto Council meets today! Let's experience it together.

Mayor Olivia Chow has set an item about rental protections as her first key matter, so that'll be considered first. After that: snow.

It'll stream live here. I'll note what's notable. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qGe...
City Council - November 12, 2025
YouTube video by Toronto City Council
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:28 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #357!

Your complete November 2025 Council meeting preview, with notes on debates coming this week about corner stores, tenant protections, encampments, our gifted Amsterdam bridge, and, of course, snow. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/council-lo...
Council looks to keep corner stores closed
City Hall Watcher #357: Your complete Council meeting preview for November 2025, featuring debates on local retail, rental protections, snow and encampments
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:46 PM
graphicmatt.com
My @thestar.com column: Gardiner Expressway construction getting done 18 months ahead of schedule is a big win for drivers. But I’ll hold off on celebrating until I see the city and Queen’s Park take lessons from the project and deliver big wins for transit riders too www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Matt Elliott: Gardiner repairs wrapped up 18 months early. How that big win reveals some much needed lessons for Toronto
The victory of an early end to Gardiner construction would be much sweeter if the lessons learned from it were applied to transit projects.
www.thestar.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:05 PM
graphicmatt.com
These are absurd timelines for installing speed bumps and doing road redesigns. Twelve motions to investigate speed bumps? Sixteen months to install? A decade for a road redesign? www.thestar.com/news/gta/dou...
“The typical existing time frame for investigation for new ... speed humps and speed cushions is 12 months,” said city spokesperson Kate Lear. “Following community council approval, installation has a typical time frame of six to 16 months.” If slowing traffic requires the redesigning of a road, that can take much longer — as much as five to 10 years. “Public consultation needs to inform the conceptual designs that are developed ... before delivery can be co-ordinated within the multi-year capital co-ordination process,” said Lear.
November 4, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by Matt Elliott
rzaichkowski.bsky.social
The latest column by @graphicmatt.com highlights the need for Toronto to apply the lessons learned from accelerating the Gardiner Expressway construction to other projects. Especially transit ones like the Eglinton Crosstown. #TTC #TOpoli #ONpoli www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Matt Elliott: Gardiner repairs wrapped up 18 months early. How that big win reveals some much needed lessons for Toronto
The victory of an early end to Gardiner construction would be much sweeter if the lessons learned from it were applied to transit projects.
www.thestar.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
graphicmatt.com
That “transit won’t wait” post was truly terrible comms, but this TTC story today is weird. John Tory shows up here to rub salt in the wound even though it sounds like he... managed to take the subway home from the game without much trouble beyond some crowding? torontosun.com/news/local-n...
“I was on the subway home from the game at about 12:30 a.m. and it was packed and I didn’t wait around to see the trophy presentation because it would have been painful,” said the former mayor who has not said if he plans to make a comeback for his job next year.
November 3, 2025 at 10:03 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #356!

Not the jubilant edition I hoped to write, but we’ve still got a new LOBBYIST WATCH to ease your baseball pain. It’s got tales of Rick Leary, snow clearing, a sixplex, AI Drones, and more! toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/lobbyists-...
Lobbyists hunker down for a long winter
City Hall Watcher #356: LOBBYIST WATCH returns in the shadow of a devastating loss, with stories about snow removal, sixplexes, Rick Leary and more
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:44 PM
graphicmatt.com
Councillor Josh Matlow on the neighbourhood retail report: “I’m perceiving that this is either going to be an utter failure through council, or it’ll be a version that will be so watered down that it’ll look like a glass of water thrown into a swimming pool on a rainy day.”

Sensing some pessimism.
October 30, 2025 at 7:00 PM
graphicmatt.com
Deputing at today’s Planning & Housing Committee meeting on neighbourhood retail: a xenomorph.
A man speaks to committee via videoconference. Behind him is a full-size model of a Xenomorph alien from the “Alien” movie franchise.
October 30, 2025 at 6:30 PM
graphicmatt.com
Not sure why Toronto's police chief feels the need to weigh in on expanding permissions to allow more corner stores, but here he is, suggesitng more consultation is needed? www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... (PDF)
Letter signed by Police Chief Myron Demkiw Re: Expanded Neighbourhood Retail Zoning File Number: ____________ As the City explores expanded neighbourhood retail zoning, the Toronto Police Service remains committed to supporting safe, inclusive communities. While we continue to work to maintain and further decrease our Priority 1 response times, we are encouraged to see many community safety indicators trending in a positive direction. For example, homicide rates are down 54% year-to-date, shootings and firearm discharges are down 43%, home invasions have decreased by 37%, and carjackings are down 22%. We are also continuing our recruitment efforts through our multi-year hiring plan, for which we are grateful for the City's ongoing support. Expanded neighbourhood retail zoning may present both opportunities and challenges for businesses and residents. From a policing standpoint, we have been making progress on many community safety indicators and suggest that significant change to our communities always benefits from meaningful consultation between the City, community stakeholders, law enforcement, and other city partners. We look forward to ongoing dialogue and are committed to working together to support safe and thriving communities across Toronto.
October 30, 2025 at 3:45 PM
graphicmatt.com
Councillor Stephen Holyday suggests permitting more neighbourhood retail will… increase residential break-ins? So, like, people who are in a neighbourhood to go to a store will decide, on a lark, to commit some spontaneous burglary? www.thestar.com/business/tor...
Etobicoke Centre Coun. Stephen Holyday said he remains as opposed to neighbourhood retail as he was back in December, suggesting having businesses in neighbourhoods could worsen worries about home break-ins. “There’s a heightened acuity about strangers in the area,” he said.
October 28, 2025 at 4:14 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #355!

An attempt to build a better housing dashboard to track Toronto’s actual progress. Plus: a new angle on corner store permissions and City Hall’s last chance power drive to keep speed cameras. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/housing-pl...
Housing plans by the dashboard light
City Hall Watcher #355: An attempt to build a better housing dashboard, plus one last ride for Toronto's speed camera program and another angle on corner stores
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
October 27, 2025 at 9:02 PM
graphicmatt.com
Here are the new speed camera warning signs Toronto will start installing on Nov 15, if speed cameras are still permitted. City also targeting that date for change limiting operating hours of cameras to 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays only. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
A yellow diamond-shaped sign reading “SLOWN DOWN SPEED CAMERA"
October 22, 2025 at 1:40 PM
graphicmatt.com
My @thestar.com column this week: after Toronto Council requested reports on potential new rules for activities like raves, jet ski riding and pickleball, I’ve got an important reminder: it is a very good thing that people are having fun in the city.

Fun is good.

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Matt Elliott: Now, Toronto has noisy pickleball games in its crosshairs. Are we becoming the City That Fun Forgot?
Tending to the whims of grumblers might make for good politics in election season, but it often makes for lousy governance.
www.thestar.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Reposted by Matt Elliott
oliver-moore.bsky.social
Wild-eyed hippie @graphicmatt.com thinks "it’s undoubtedly good news that people are doing fun things in Toronto"
www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Matt Elliott: Now, Toronto has noisy pickleball games in its crosshairs. Are we becoming the City That Fun Forgot?
Tending to the whims of grumblers might make for good politics in election season, but it often makes for lousy governance.
www.thestar.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #354!

A look at some new data on Toronto’s emptiest public parking lots, including a little-used brand new one.

Plus: Craven Road controversy, City Hall exits, and Doug Ford’s unpopular speed camera ban. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/the-parkin...
The parking spaces between us
City Hall Watcher #354: Some new data on the Toronto Parking Authority's many empty parking spots, plus a controversial compromise on Craven, the unpopularity of the speed camera ban, and more
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
October 20, 2025 at 8:12 PM
graphicmatt.com
My @thestar.com column: City hall is finally hiring a traffic czar. But I worry it’s a sucker gig.

With too many cars and limited roads, there’s no fixing Toronto traffic for drivers. To make any progress, this car czar should be ready to tell some hard truths.

www.thestar.com/opinion/star...
Matt Elliott: Without acknowledging hard truths, Toronto’s traffic czar isn’t likely to get very far
It’s probably good that this new position will come with a handsome salary because this traffic czar will be given an impossible task. There’s no solving Toronto traffic, writes Matt Elliott.
www.thestar.com
October 15, 2025 at 3:20 PM
graphicmatt.com
Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #353!

Your complete recap of the October 2025 meeting of Toronto Council, featuring a scorecard votes on speed cameras, some Ford fact checks, some quotable quotes, a look at how Council spent its time, and more. toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/council-fa...
Council offers Ford a fast fact check on speed cameras
City Hall Watcher #353: Your complete Toronto Council meeting recap for October 2025, featuring votes on speed cameras, crisis workers, the Bathurst bus, and noisy pickleball
toronto.cityhallwatcher.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:27 PM
graphicmatt.com
Toronto Council meets today! It's their first meeting since July, so we're all feeling a bit rusty. Mayor Chow has designated an item about — what else? — speed cameras as her first key matter, so that'll be up first.

Streaming live here. I'll post what transpires. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxu2...
City Council - October 8, 2025
YouTube video by Toronto City Council
www.youtube.com
October 8, 2025 at 1:28 PM
graphicmatt.com
In a letter responding to a Councillor Holyday inquiry, City Manager Paul Johnson has provided a breakdown of revenue and expense numbers related to Toronto’s speed and red-light camera programs. Notably, about 24% of fine revenue goes to the provincial gov.
www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... (PDF)
In 2024, the City collected $62.6 million in fine revenues, including $37.3 million from ASE and $25.3 million from RLC. In total, the 2024 net revenue associated with the POA regime was $48.2 million, which was leveraged to support the initiatives noted below. For 2025, assuming full operations throughout the year, the City projects to receive $64.6 million in ASE fine revenue and total associated fine revenue of $100.1 million when also including $35.5 million from RLC. Revenues collected, and specifically those collected through ASE violations, are generally allocated to three main purposes: 1. Provincial Remittances • When including the estimated $11 million associated with Victim Fine Surcharges (VFS) for 2025, approximately 24% of fine revenues are remitted annually to the Province, including a charge of $8.25 per infraction for Ministry of Transportation Ontario searches and varying VFS surcharges depending on the fine amount for victim services. 2. City of Toronto Related Administration Costs • It’s estimated that approximately 35% of fine revenues directly fund the City’s costs to administer the operation of ASE. 3. Vision Zero Initiatives • The remaining fine revenues, or approximately 41%, enables the City to invest in public safety and enforcement activities, including:  Toronto Police Service – Annual operating funding is directed to the Police Services Road Safety Program, funding 18 Officers (2 Sergeants and 16 PCs).  Transportation Services Operating – ASE revenue is leveraged to partially offset annual enhancements and inflationary increases to the School Crossing Guard Program and Education Campaign  Transportation Services Capital - ASE revenue is leveraged to offset debt servicing costs associated with Road Safety Initiatives included in the 10-Year
October 7, 2025 at 5:39 PM
graphicmatt.com
Seems like everyone’s gone gaga for gondolas these days. Report on the Toronto Zoo Board agenda recommends making a deal with EcoTrek Adventure Group to install a “SkyPod” gondola ride at the zoo. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
Image 1 - Artistic Rendering of SkyPod Experience, showing basket-like gondolas on a cable above a small body of water. A map of a potential lcation for the gondola ride at the zoo, starting near the entrance and rising above the tree canopy.
October 7, 2025 at 3:23 PM