Toronto’s Next Mayor Will Put Service First

Torontonians need – and deserve – the best service when they deal with City Hall -- the best policing, emergency response, street cleaning, garbage collection and recycling, water and public facilities, health and attention from civic workers.  As Toronto Mayor, George Smitherman will bring a new approach to make sure this happens – Service First.

Service First is George Smitherman’s vision for improvement –focusing on the city’s core responsibilities, being more careful about spending and making sure City Hall gets it right.

Service First means putting your needs ahead of the needs of the people who provide our city services.  Just because we have done something one way at City Hall does not mean we have to keep doing it the same way.

Service First means looking at the way we do things and keeping an open mind. Toronto will provide top-quality services, and if that does not happen, we will look at how to do it better.

Service First also means making it easier for you to deal with City Hall, and to grade how well your civic services are doing.  As Mayor, George Smitherman will establish two awards for outstanding civic service, one chosen by peers and one by the public. George will set up instant electronic feedback portals at service kiosks around the city, so you can immediately indicate whether you are getting Service First.

Thinking Differently

George Smitherman thinks Service First starts with the Mayor seeing his role differently. For example, to enhance our parks and sports facilities, the Mayor should be ready to work directly with non-profit organizations, Business Improvement Associations and the private sector. We can learn from other cities about how to deliver these kinds of services, and we can measure Toronto against them. If Toronto is not at the top, we will work together to get there.

Fiscal Responsibility

Despite what some aspiring candidates say, Toronto does not have a funding problem. It has a spending problem. Since 2003, more than 50 departments have grown faster than inflation – that is not service, it is wasteful.  George Smitherman’s plan to put Service First will be more careful with your money, and accountable in how City Hall spends it.

George Smitherman will insist that every city service undergo a mandatory review to see how to improve service delivery quality and save money. Right off the bat, this review will include a $2 million reduction in the budgets for councillors and the Mayor’s office.

Highlights of George Smitherman’s Service First Program

 

• Review of city service delivery and spending.
• $2 million reduction in councillors’ and Mayor’s office budgets (current $22 million).
• Review of all management positions in core services with an eye to reductions by merging and sharing back-office support for different departments.
• Replace the existing merit pay system with incentives designed to drive excellence and innovation; for example, linking executive pay to reduction in “Days of Disruption”.
• Mayor’s Awards for Civic Employee Excellence—an annual recognition program with two awards-by nomination of peers and by the public.
• Citizen feedback portals at service counters across the city, similar to those used at the immigration desk at Shanghai's Pudong Airport. Citizens and visitors can instantly grade the quality of service received.
• More citizen involvement in park design, maintenance, improvements, and programming.

 

George Smitherman on Improving Safety and Security

Your City government has a responsibility to ensure that you are safe and secure, as you move freely around the City, and in the neighbourhoods where you live. George Smitherman has a plan to make sure this happens.

Service First: Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

George Smitherman will combine Toronto’s firefighters and EMS paramedics in an integrated service to improve life-saving response times for serious emergencies. He wants to combine the quick response of Toronto Fire with the expert paramedical training of Toronto’s EMS services – other cities have found they can save lives by taking these steps and it’s time Toronto does it as well. As Mayor, George will form a task force bringing all of the key stakeholders together to plan the integrated system. In jurisdictions like Winnipeg, an integrated system has reduced response times to life-threatening calls by as much as half.

This integrated emergency response system will be an essential service with no strike option.

George Smitherman will build on the service integration by looking at how to combine not just response, but hiring, training, maintenance, administration and dispatch. The task force of experts will also study bringing some aspects of policing procurement and maintenance into this structure, for further efficiency.

Toronto Police Services

George Smitherman is proud of The Toronto Police Service and the work they do. He will vigourously defend our current police budgets. As an Ontario cabinet minister, George has already supported the expansion of police forces in Toronto and around the province.

Community policing initiatives and programs such as Toronto’s Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy (TAVIS) have also been highly successful, and George will support their continuation to reduce violent crime in our city.

At the same time, as Toronto Mayor, George Smitherman will insist that Toronto Police find resources from within, through greater operating efficiencies and existing overtime pay, to hire at least 50 more uniformed officers.

George believes there is at least a $5 million efficiency to be gained by rigourous control of overtime in the police budget. He has looked at the current budget and found that total premium pay ($43 million) is budgeted for 2010 with $14.7 million in shift overtime, $5.1 million in “call back” pay (working on a day off or ‘called back’ after shift ends), $10.9 million in traffic court and $12.3 million related to police work in criminal courts.

The additional 50 or more new officers we hire will target guns and gangs, emphasizing community and youth engagement through the schools and youth activities. Current community policing activities are making a difference, and we should use our budgets more efficiently to help the police do their job.

George Smitherman will also squeeze the City budget to find more efficiencies, by following upon the issue of paid duty.  Paid duty funded by the City each year is approximately $25 million. George will undertake a detailed review of the justification for all types of paid duty funded by the public in order to ensure that it is meeting city priorities and statutory requirements.

Traffic Wardens

We have to get Toronto traffic moving again—getting where you need to be is part of feeling secure and safe in your city.  We need to put an end to days of disruption. George Smitherman will look at using traffic wardens to direct traffic during peak hours in key locations. A system like this works well in Chicago, where traffic wardens move drivers along at key choke-points, making sure they do not block intersections or linger. It would work at busy rush hour points such as Front/University or King/Spadina. Let’s try it and look for results.

George Smitherman’s plan for traffic wardens will be funded from the Transportation Services budget.

Our traffic wardens will also be city ambassadors, aiding those who are physically challenged, older pedestrians, answering questions and much more. With proper training, wardens could also do what is now police “paid duty” at construction sites and some parades/festivals/movie shoots. This would free our real police to do real police work.

A Safer Community

George Smitherman will continue to work to reduce gun-related crimes. As Mayor, George Smitherman will establish an annual Accountability Review and an annual summit for all key agencies involved in reducing gun crime. These will maintain political focus on priority actions, partnership, and initiatives. Participants will include The Toronto Police Service, City agencies dealing with housing, youth and social welfare groups, the Federal and Provincial governments, school boards, Business Improvement Associations, neighbourhood groups and associations, and community organizations with expertise in gang behaviour and best practices in diversion strategies.

With his experience in provincial issues, George Smitherman will also press for improvements in the province’s administration of justice, working with the province on methods to reduce re-offending, including tougher bail restrictions for gun offences.

George Smitherman is tough on crime and the causes of crime. He subscribes to Rudy Giuliani’s  “broken windows” approach – if someone breaks a window, you get it fixed right away and refuse to allow it to become a symbol of a broken city. You also find out who did it, make them pay and make sure it does not happen again.

Torontonians can no longer tolerate the release on bail of anyone alleged to be in possession of a gun illegally or to have committed a crime using a gun. If it is a matter of space in jails we will construct the necessary jails and send the province the bill.

It is no secret that the federal government is spending approximately $1 billion on Toronto’s G20 Summit, with much of this focused  on security—things like closed circuit cameras placed strategically downtown. Toronto should benefit from this. George Smitherman will press the federal government to donate the G20 cameras to Toronto Police Service. They will be sited according to Torontonians’ needs, after consultation with elected officials, citizens and advice from the police. They will be used not to spy on people, but to better protect ourcitizens and visitors and to deter criminal behaviour.

Police resources and cameras will also be allocated for deployment in Toronto Community Housing. Toronto Community Housing is at the forefront of rebuilding neighbourhoods, and it is important to ensure homes are safe and that Toronto Community Housing residents receive the same level of protection as all other Torontonians.

George Smitherman On Toronto’s Environment

Toronto has some of the safest drinking water of any major city in the world.  We should promote and celebrate that fact as part of our stewardship of our precious watersheds and Lake Ontario.

George Smitherman will make it easier for Torontonians to access safe tap water in the city with the placement of well designed water fountains in at least 50 new locations by 2014 -- not only in parks but in busy areas of the city as well. Torontonians will not only be able to drink from these new fountains, they will be able to fill up their personal water bottles easily and cleanly.

As Mayor, George Smitherman will work with the hospitality industry to promote use of Toronto’s tap water in local restaurants.

George Smitherman will undertake an immediate review of the water deptartment budgets (capital and operating) to ensure that the annual 9 percent water rate increases that Torontonians currently pay are justified for service delivery and water conservation objectives.

Drawing on his experience as Ontario Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, George will also encourage water conservation by working with province to update the Ontario Building Code and/or mandating, through the City of Toronto Act, changes from the Ontario Building Code, for all new home, office and institution construction.

We need to remind people that Toronto is city on a Great Lake. George Smitherman will promote further expansion of the CNE / Ontario Place as an aquatics tourism anchor, working with the private, and non-profit sectors to bring some of the ambitious plans for these sites closer to reality.

Solid Waste And Recycling

Toronto’s efforts on garbage and recycling have some good features, but there are significant challenges that need new thinking.

The fact is that truckloads of garbage are still being shipped out of province by the thousands for dumping in landfills. The waste stream – what gets pitched into landfill – still contains significant amounts of recyclable materials (30,000 tonnes/year).

We can get by for a while like this, but not for long. The way we handle our waste needs a major re-think during the first term of office.

As Mayor, George Smitherman will get going on this quickly. He will establish a Scientific and Technical Advisor on waste reduction and waste management that will report to the Mayor. He will launch a program review led by the Scientific Advisor to look at innovations in collection and processing technology to minimize the contamination of the recycling stream, which is sending too much material to landfill.

We will also need to plan for extending the life of the Green Lane landfill site (where much of Toronto’s garbage goes now) and for waste management after its closure.

The Scientific Advisor appointed by George Smitherman will recommend a mix of strategies and technologies to meet the City’s objectives of cost-effectively reducing waste, maximizing reduction/reuse/recycling, and managing waste on its own territory. We cannot always send our garbage to someone else’s backyard.

It is time to do more with the Blue Bin, which was invented in Ontario. In George Smitherman’s first year in office, he will optimize the program by adopting a loyalty points program, such as RecycleBank, giving Torontonians added incentive to use their Blue Bins.

He will make sure City Hall looks for ways to do a better job of capturing the value in compost for urban agriculture/gardening and will encourage micro-composting for apartments and schools.

We also need to tune up the green bin program. George Smitherman will provide a more flexible array of options for the current green bin program; for example, by creating small scale composting programs for apartment buildings (working with non-profit groups and providing community work for at-risk youth).

Garbage Collection: Putting Service First

We all remember last year’s unnecessary garbage strike—with George Smitherman as Toronto Mayor, that will not happen again. As part of his commitment to Service First, George Smitherman will consider the contracting out of solid waste and recycling collection services on an area-by-area basis, where service levels can be enhanced at similar or lower cost. It is up to Torontonians to say whether the service is good or needs improvement. Citizen panels would be involved in advising on service levels or evaluating bids. Any outside contractors bidding or hired would be subject to a new No Strike rule.

Litter and Graffiti

Service First means pouncing quickly on litter and graffiti. George Smitherman will create street cleaning and graffiti removal SWAT teams. We will use temporary labour agencies or non-governmental organizations that employ people moving from homelessness or street-risk to more stable lives. This will help the people doing the work and it will not remove jobs. The city could move resources to this program as existing employees retire.  This program would be done in partnership with local Business Improvement Associations, and with organizations serving homeless or at-risk working people.

 

George Smitherman On Parks and Recreation

City services are not just about the basics; they are also about creating a city that people want to live in. It is time to remember that we are a lakefront city. It is time to celebrate our parks. And with the Pan Am Games coming in 2015, it is time for Toronto to enjoy a Recreation Renaissance.

A Beachfront City

As Toronto Mayor, George Smitherman will bring a new sense of pride and excitement to Toronto as a great city on a Great Lake.  He will turn the city toward the Lake again.

Highlights of George Smitherman’s plan:

• George will personally champion Toronto’s participation in the international Blue Flag swimmable beaches program. Torontonians sometimes wonder whether our beaches are clean or swimmable—George will make sure everyone knows whenever they are. This year we have seven beaches flagged—we need a Mayor who celebrates our clean beaches.  See http://blueflag.ca/drupal/?q=mediacentre/readnews/808).
• Install showers at Toronto's swimming beaches – 20 simple cold water showers between seven beaches by 2014.
• Children under 12 should be able to board Toronto’s ferries for free, so families can afford to go to the Toronto Island beaches.
• The TTC should operate seasonal express buses to Lake Ontario beaches, so residents can get to the beach quickly and easily.
• George supports constructing the Waterfront LRT by 2015 which will enable Torontonians to get to Cherry/Clark beaches and enjoy themselves.
• Let’s make sure our beaches stay clean. Toronto has spent a generation separating its storm water from residential runoff; now it is time to review that technology. Ontario seeks to be a world leader in water technology so let’s have a system in place to make sure we use the best technologies, designed right here. Lake Ontario is an international waterway, so let’s make sure the Federal and Provincial governments contribute their fair share.

Signature Parks

As part of a recreation renaissance for Toronto, George Smitherman will kick start a revitalization in Toronto’s parks. Our parks should be showcase public spaces that bring communities together to celebrate and enjoy. To often, we take our parks for granted and City Hall has turned its back on the communities that use these parks.

George Smitherman will turn this around.

George will unleash the creativity of our city and create signature public parks. We should have key parks that are major tourist attractions like those in other cities such as New York, San Francisco, Vancouver and London. These signature parks can be the catalysts to renew neighbourhoods and attract new local businesses.

A great example is Allan Gardens; the provincial government is renovating an office building nearby to the highest environmental standard. With a renaissance signature park version of Allan Gardens nearby, the building would be nestled in an attractive, revitalized neighbourhood. We could renew Allan Gardens and spruce up its beautiful but faded greenhouses. Let’s bring in an outdoor café where residents and tourists could have coffee or lunch in the park. Other popular parks such as Earl Bales Park in North York and James Gardens in Etobicoke could also use renovations and improvements to their aging facilities.

George will use a number of tools to get this done.

He will reinvigorate the City’s Office of Partnerships and will set financial targets for new business partnerships and investments to be achieved by this office. He will encourage the establishment of Park Improvement Areas where local businesses can organize to assist in funding local park improvements.

We should also explore establishing independent park conservancies like those that successfully run Central Park in New York.

It is also time Torontonians get a national park within the city’s borders: Rouge Park in Scarborough. George will also get fully behind the effort to make Rouge Park a national park. This is the best solution to fulfill the park’s potential. It would be Canada’s first near-urban national park – a national showpiece for linking our urban centres with natural spaces and farmlands.

Recreation Renaissance and Healthy Living

 

As Toronto Mayor, George Smitherman will use the preparation for the Pan Am Games in 2015 as a galvanizing force to get Torontonians to live healthier, more active lives.

New Facilities: Learning from cities such as Barcelona, which took advantage of major sporting events to modernize their own recreational facilities, George will lever the resources of the private sector to build and finance new facilities and harness the non-profit sector to help manage community facilities.

One Stop e-booking: George Smitherman will insist that the City have a strategic plan for sports and recreation ensuring better access to rinks and other district sports facilities. The strategy will be planned by the City, leveraged using City and school board assets (mainly land) and delivered by private sector/non-profits. In some cases it’s a matter of expanding efforts that are already underway; for example, the championship field program developed by the Toronto District School Board to renovate and upgrade selected fields/ facilities to national standards.

George Smitherman will propose a one-stop-window (an electronic portal) to book playing fields, community centres, arenas, schools and non-profit facilities and remit the proceeds to the host with a small handling fee. This online database would make it easier for community groups to book space and would reduce overlap and overhead costs.

Community programming: As part of his recreational renaissance, George will allocate $15-million a year directly to community organizations serving children and youth so that they can run programs in city or school board or non-profit facilities. This would include all types of sports and recreation organizations.

SwimPass - Teaching every Toronto child to swim: With George as Mayor, every child in the city will learn to swim by the end of Grade 5.

The City will create a swimming passport (SwimPass) so that every child in the city would be able to get basic level of swimming by Grade 5 regardless of whether they get this instruction from the city, school boards, non-profits or private pools in condos or apartment buildings. He will build on the work that has been done by non-profits like the YMCA and Canadian Tire Jump Start. We need to stop fighting over pools and work together on swimming programs.

George will ensure that trained life guards and swim instructors are available to provide swim instruction in public and private facilities to make sure our new swimmers—and all our swimmers—are safe. He will make the City a full participant with the Toronto Aquatic Working Group headed by former mayor David Crombie to integrate aquatic programs and pools and expand access to swimming for all ages.

Indoor Playgrounds: Let’s face it, Toronto doesn’t always have great weather. The City should have more indoor playgrounds – using rec centres, school gyms and non-profit facilities – so younger families can enjoy healthy active play during winter months and on days when the weather is cold and nasty.

Public Health in the Community: George is determined to lead a healthier community. Building on the recreational renaissance, George Smitherman will consider the integration of public health services with other City departments, such as recreation, social development, social services and children’s services. This could help bring more action to address many of the underlying causes for illness and poor health.

As part of this integration of recreation and health, George Smitherman will draw on some of the lessons he learned as Ontario Minister of Health and reducing wait times. He will place greater emphasis on getting public health staff out of the office and into the community, including reintroducing school nurses, integrating public health nurses with Community Health Centres and operating more storefront public health facilities.

George's Plan To Get Toronto Moving

Mayoral Candidate’s Integrated Program for Getting Toronto Working… and Moving

Toronto residents want – and deserve – a city that works. And that means we need to get people home from work, to soccer practice, to the grocery store, and out to explore the four corners of this Great City.  As Mayor, George Smitherman will make it a priority to ensure Torontonians can get where they want to go faster, better, easier and safer. He will deliver an Integrated Transportation Plan that gets Toronto working—and moving. Again.

It is time to end the imaginary “war” between different types of transportation.  Most of us travel the city in more than one way.  Sometimes we walk, other times we take the TTC.  We ride bikes and we drive.  People should be able to count on getting home or anywhere else on time, in comfort and safety no matter how they get around. This is why an Integrated Transportation Plan is important.

George Smitherman’s Integrated Transportation Plan recognizes that City Hall has a responsibility to support all transportation choices. The plan focuses on the people of Toronto as customers – people who expect and will get courteous and efficient transit service, accessible sidewalks and pedestrian paths, safe bike lanes and less traffic congestion (through such measures as improved contracting for roadwork).

George Smitherman’s ten year Integrated Transportation Plan can be achieved using a proven financial plan and without road tolls - with lots of visible improvements happening in the next five years leading up to the Pan Am Games, and starting right after the October 25 election.

Here is a summary of the improvements Torontonians will see, and how they will be funded, in a city that elects Mayor George Smitherman.

Transit Delivered – A TTC That Works For Toronto

When it comes to transit, we need to have more than just catchy slogans.  Torontonians need a practical program that delivers.  

Toronto’s transit riders should expect service first. When George Smitherman is Mayor, they will get a TTC that is smarter, more comfortable, more courteous, integrated with the Greater Toronto Area—in short, a system that actually gets people around town.

The small stuff matters. TTC vehicles should be clean and well-maintained, staff should always be helpful and polite, complaint phone and internet lines should be answered and paying your fare should be convenient—by cash, credit or debit card or by recharging a new Presto smart card. The TTC should be doing these things, not just talking about them, and that is where an integrated plan makes a difference.  

George Smitherman’s Integrated Plan for Toronto transit includes:

• Free Transportation for Seniors, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on weekdays.
• Smart cards: one card for all your fares, loaded up at your convenience and payable by internet or ATM without having to wait in line for a token machine that won’t take your coins and bills.  Virtually every major transit system in the world has moved to electronic fare collection, and it works. Why is Toronto still using an outdated token system?  The TTC has been testing fare cards. It’s time to require them to introduce them for all, with a deadline of 2014.
• A Riders’ Charter that will set out clear standards and benchmarks for service, treatment of the public and notification of changes or interruptions to service in a way that keeps the TTC accountable.
• Affordable Expansion, Integrated over 10 Years
  Everyone agrees the TTC needs to expand. And everyone knows we can only afford so much at a time. We do need more subways, and we need LRTs. It is time for politicians to stop bickering and set priorities. George Smitherman proposes a responsible, two-phase transit expansion plan that does just that:
  • Phase One -- now to 2015 -- With Toronto hosting the Pan Am Games in 2015, we can improve the system for Torontonians, show the hemisphere how we get transit right and make the Games an unforgettable experience for the athletes and our visitors.  By 2015, we should:
    • Expedite the Spadina Subway extension to York University so it will be functioning to service the Pan Am Venues at York.
    • Extend the Sheppard LRT east and extend it south to where the new Aquatic Centre will stand, and then beyond to the University of Toronto in Scarborough and Centennial College.
    • Create the Queen’s Quay Waterfront LRT from Union Station to the Portlands, through the fast emerging neighbourhoods and waterfront playground at East Bayfront, and the Pam Am Athletes Village in the West Donlands.
    • Champion the actual build of the Rail Link from Union Station to Pearson Airport and insist that this line be prioritized for electrification.
    • See that the tunneling for the Eglinton LRT get underway, and ensuring that it is extended further west to Weston Road, where it can integrate with the new Air Rail Link station.
  • Phase Two – 2015 to 2020—In this phase we will get Toronto moving in all directions: eliminate the isolation of our City’s NorthWest and make it more possible to get across town.
    • Build Finch West LRT from Finch West Station to Highway 27, taking in Humber College and the Etobicoke General Hospital before linking up with the Woodbine Centre and the proposed development at the Woodbine Racetrack.
    • Build Sheppard Subway Line west from Yonge to link with Downsview Station.
    • Replace Scarborough RT with a Subway past Scarborough Town Centre.
    • Extend the Bloor-Danforth Subway Line from Kipling to East Mall and all the way to Sherway Gardens.  This will bring significant growth and development to the city, both in taxes and also by creating jobs – both during construction, and in the long term.

Click to enlarge images below

Driving – Getting Toronto Motorists Moving

George Smitherman will put an end to any perception Toronto motorists have that City Hall is picking on them. It is important to be able to get where you need to go in Toronto by car, but it’s increasingly difficult, and this needs to change.  Studies show that we have longer commute times than Los Angeles – an average of 82 minutes.

Congestion costs us all. People spend more time getting to and from work than they should, missing time with family and friends, and businesses lose time and have to wait for deliveries. Endless idling also leads to more smog and health impacts – especially for those with respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

We do not need to add an extra burden on motorists. George Smitherman plans to end the war on cars – he will reduce the Vehicle Registration Tax. Toronto’s $60 Vehicle Registration Tax penalizes Toronto residents unfairly—they’re the only ones who have to pay the tax, while other GTA residents who use Toronto’s roads do not.  

Likewise, road work needs to be better organized.

• As Mayor, George Smitherman will minimize “days of disruption” and inefficiency caused by roadwork by imposing a mix of incentives and expectations on those who are completing the work. This means setting benchmarks, so everyone knows how long it should take to fix a pothole or dig up a street – contracts which place a premium on swift completion.
• To this end, the City will also begin compiling a “disruption index”, which will be available online, and it will work with software developers to ensure that road work hot spots can be recognized by the latest GPS devices and apps.
• George Smitherman will also see that traffic laws are enforced more fairly and uniformly. High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes should be for high occupancy vehicles, and people who block traffic illegally at rush hour should be charged. Anyone who runs a stop sign—motorist or cyclist—should face charges, and pedestrians need to obey the rules of the road too.
• George Smitherman will not depend on road tolls to complete his 10 year Transit Delivered plan.

Cycling – Integrated With The Grid For Safety

Cycling in Toronto is important.  Torontonians often choose from day to day whether to walk, drive, take transit or cycle to get where they are going.

George Smitherman supports Toronto cyclists and will make it easier for Torontonians to choose safe cycling.  His integrated transportation plan for cycling will rethink how we plan, build, take care of and use cycling routes in Toronto.

George Smitherman’s plans to make cycling safer and more efficient include:

• Time out on construction of new bike lanes on arterial roadways, but move immediately to ensure current cycling routes are safer and better maintained.
• • Physical separation of bikes and cars: bicycle lanes should be separated from cars with properly curbed lanes, so everyone can travel more safely.
• Moving forward, expedite the expansion of dedicated bike “expressways” though hydro corridors, ravines and other non-roadways by 2015.
• Increase opportunities for children to learn bike safety and rules of the road.
• Better maintenance of bike routes—including year round upkeep, with snow clearance on bike expressways.
• Integration of cycling into Toronto’s planning and transit, by looking at incentives and possible partnerships to build a better bike infrastructure. Toronto should consider better bike parking at TTC stations, shower facilities and other ideas that make it easier for “dual-mode commuting” (riding to a TTC or GO station and hopping on transit).

Respect For Pedestrians – Integrated Plan For Sidewalks and Walkways

George Smitherman will make respect for pedestrians a priority.
People who walk, push strollers or travel by wheelchair or motorized scooter are often the forgotten travelers in Toronto. Our sidewalks tend to be one umbrella wide—this doesn’t leave much room for families, people with parcels or even groups of friends in a lot of places.  This is compounded when sidewalks are in disrepair, with gaping holes or high curbs that make it particularly difficult for people who need to get around with wheels.

Repairs and maintenance will be done promptly, on schedule and according to benchmarks and metrics established by City Hall. It should be clear to every Toronto resident why a sidewalk is being dug up, what is being done, when it will be finished and why it will be better. And when there is repair work on sidewalks, crews will be required to make the area safe and accessible for seniors, parents with toddlers in strollers, and people with disabilities.

There will be a dedicated budget for pedestrian safety, tied to the percentage of traffic incidents involving pedestrians.  One accident is one too many. Pedestrian safety needs to be integrated into Toronto’s transportation plan.  Active transportation needs to be encouraged.

The rules of the road will be better enforced to encourage safety for pedestrians. Police will be instructed to look more closely at the conduct of motorists and cyclists alike.

 

Costing and Financing: Transit Delivered

George Smitherman estimates that his plan will cost approximately $17.4 billion, which is approximately $5 billion beyond what Metrolinx, the Province, the Federal Government, York Region and the City of Toronto have already committed to transit expansion in Toronto.

Better funding

We need to help the public sector do a better job of delivering public services - that remain publicly owned - and Toronto should take advantage of talent, money and expertise to help build transit infrastructure and reduce costs.

George Smitherman will contract with the private sector to partner on the construction of additional transit capacity in a design, build and finance model.   This model is similar to the mortgage model used by many of us to achieve home ownership before we have the money to pay the full purchase price.  Under the terms of the arrangement, the TTC – and by extension the people of Toronto – would be the customer.  Once the lines are completed, the City will have an annual financial obligation that will be met through the establishment of the Transit Trust.

Toronto Transit Trust will be a City account that will be funded through Toronto’s share of the Provincial and Federal gas tax, Toronto Hydro and Toronto Parking Authority dividends, and fees generated through transit-enabled development.

For more information on costing and financing please click here

Fiscal stability

Does anyone honestly believe that City Hall did anything more than go through the motions before deciding to ding property taxpayers with yet another property tax increase this year?

While they tried to claim they looked under every stone, somehow they were only able to reduce the $154 million internal administration budget by one-tenth of one percent.

The City's budget problems cannot be solved by simply reaching deeper and deeper into people's pockets for more user fees and higher taxes. The nickel and diming must stop.

Nor can we simply expect other levels of government to bail us out year after year. We need to get our own house in order so that our voice will project stronger.

The truth is that in order to fix the budget, we need to change the way things are done at City Hall. We need to quit the short-sighted 'one step ahead' approach when times call for a longer-term plan. We need to change a culture that thinks it is acceptable to keep spending and expanding no matter what the cost to people. Put simply, we have got to focus ourselves and fit our budgets to our means. Not the other way around.

As Mayor, George will establish multi-year budgets to create administrative savings and allow City agencies to plan. In addition to leading a line-by-line review of the budget I will work together with council to wring out further savings. George will join the budget committee and lead a transparent examination of our priorities.

George will also implement an immediate hiring freeze for all but essential services personnel such as EMS, police and fire response. The city's labour force will need to be trimmed and modernized. Salary restraint across the entire city's employment groups must be the expectation for the foreseeable future. Attrition provides substantial flexibility to adjust the city's labour bill into the next decades.

And finally, with respect to the budget George will emphasize something we should not do.

We should not, as some candidates have suggested, invite a fire sale of the city's assets. You don't warm your house by burning the furniture and you do not sell off the silver to avoid the hard work of responsible budget planning.

While George would welcome innovative models and new approaches including the greater use of public / private partnerships, he believes the blind selling-off of assets like Toronto Hydro that have been paid for by the city is a weak substitute for leadership.