What to know
- Brad Bradford has unveiled a five-point plan for his first 100 days as mayor, focusing on public safety, transit, City Hall spending, the city budget and youth employment.
- Bradford’s proposals include adding 1,000 net new frontline police officers, reviewing City Hall spending and targeting 5,000 new private-sector youth jobs in his first year.
- Olivia Chow is highlighting affordability proposals, including free TTC rides after 10 trips in a week, grocery tax cuts for independent stores and a ban on surveillance pricing.
- Chow is also pledging more free weekend programming for children at Toronto Public Library branches and plans to advance 10,000 homes next year, including affordable units.
With four days remaining in Toronto’s mayoral campaign, candidate Brad Bradford has unveiled a plan outlining his first 100 days in office if elected, while incumbent Mayor Olivia Chow is highlighting her proposals to make the city more affordable.
On Thursday, Bradford released a five-point plan focused on public safety, transit, City Hall spending, the city budget and youth employment.
According to his campaign, Bradford would begin by working with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and Toronto police chief to develop a transit safety strategy that would place a police officer at every subway station.
He also says he would begin recruiting officers as part of a plan to add 1,000 net new frontline officers by the end of his first term.
On transit infrastructure, Bradford says he would begin the process of advancing the Scarborough East LRT, personally delivering a business case to the premier and prime minister to push the project forward.
He has also pledged to begin removing bus lanes on Kingston Road, Morningside Avenue, Kennedy Road and Midland Road.
Bradford’s campaign says he would order an independent, line-by-line review of City Hall spending on his first day in office, with the findings made public.
On the budget front, Bradford says he would table a city budget within his first 100 days and begin separating the capital and operating budgets. His proposed budget would include a property tax freeze, the elimination of the municipal land transfer tax and a 25 per cent reduction in water bills.
To address youth employment, Bradford says he would launch the Toronto Youth Employment Challenge, setting a public target of 5,000 new private-sector jobs for young people in the first year.
“I’m a city planner by training. I know how cities are supposed to work, and I know what it takes to get City Hall moving,” Bradford said in a news release. “None of this requires a year of study. It requires a decision.”
Chow touts affordability plan
Meanwhile, Chow is reiterating her plans to make life more affordable for Torontonians, including a proposal to make TTC rides free after 10 rides in a week, down from the current 47-ride threshold.
Chow is also renewing her pledge to lower grocery costs by cutting taxes for independent grocery stores and banning surveillance pricing.
“Every day I hear from people who are doing everything right and still falling behind. They’re putting groceries back at the checkout, skipping trips because the fare adds up, and wondering where they can take their kids that doesn’t cost a fortune,” Chow said in a news release.
“My plan is about the costs you feel every single day. Cheaper transit, lower grocery bills, and more free places for families. That’s how we build a city people can afford to live in.”
As part of her affordability platform, Chow is also promising to expand free programming for children at Toronto Public Library branches on weekends.
She is also highlighting her plans to crack down on negligent landlords through her Bad Landlords Task Force and to break ground on 10,000 homes next year, including affordable housing units.
