Matt Elliott
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graphicmatt.com
Matt Elliott
@graphicmatt.com
9.3K followers 120 following 3.9K 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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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
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
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
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
From the same 1950 story: “City council should press the provincial government to call a provincial-municipal conference to get a fairer division of financial responsibilities between the province and municipalities.” Time is a flat circle.
“Too Much Bickering” “We think there has been too much bickering over amalgamation. It is time city council took a lead in conducting responsible and business-like discussions with the neighboring municipalities and the provincial government. “City council should press the provincial government to call a provincial-municipal conference to get a fairer division of financial responsibilities between the province and municipalities. Council should ask the provincial and federal government to take a greater share of the burden of welfare costs so more of the city’s limited finance can be used for civic improvement.”
October 15, 2025 at 3:29 PM
graphicmatt.com
Here’s a clip of the October 21, 1950 Star story I reference in my column about council candidates pushing for traffic solutions. We’re in year 75 of muni candidates including “synchronize traffic lights!” in their platforms. It’s not so easy. (Also still common: promises of more parking.)
Mr. Brand called for “a full scale attack on the traffic problem before it becomes hopeless. The worker has to spend most of his time going to and from work.” To relieve congestion it was recommended improving east-west arteries; narrow downtown streets be made into one-way streets; master controls to synchronize traffic lights; all buildings constructed in downtown areas in the future to provide adequate underground parking facilities. The program recommended municipal parking lots in residential areas where there are inadequate private garage facilities; municipal piers should be built in places convenient to the downtown area, with the cost defrayed over a period of years by charges to the users and then parking prohibited on congested downtown streets.
October 15, 2025 at 3:27 PM
graphicmatt.com
Chow's motion to look at a free field trip program for the Toronto Zoo CARRIES 19-1.
October 9, 2025 at 11:56 PM
graphicmatt.com
Councillor Lily Cheng's motion to conduct a communications campaign about ending Intimate Partner Violence CARRIES 20-0. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 11:50 PM
graphicmatt.com
The motion to look at ways to make pickleball quieter CARRIES 19-1.

Newspapers can go to press now. They’ve got their A1.
October 9, 2025 at 11:46 PM
graphicmatt.com
Nobody else wants to see a debate about vision. Burnside calls the question. The school eye-testing motion is APPROVED 20-2. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 11:35 PM
graphicmatt.com
Councillor Paula Fletcher moves to amend the motion to first look to see if there are Canadian vendors that can provide this kind of sportsball sharing service.
October 9, 2025 at 11:03 PM
graphicmatt.com
Bradford's motion calls for the city to accept sponsorship from the Canadian Tire Jumpstart fund to acquire Equip lockers. They open via an app.
October 9, 2025 at 10:48 PM
graphicmatt.com
Up now: should there be a new off-leash dog park near Bloor West & Kipling? ProtectNatureTO says city should call off the dogs, because the land is in a protected nature area. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 9:52 PM
graphicmatt.com
No one else comes to the defence of the consultant class. Matlow's motion to reduce the use of external consultants and prioritize internal resources CARRIES 22-1.
October 9, 2025 at 9:48 PM
graphicmatt.com
Council votes 23-1 to order a Rosedale homeowner to tear down this wall they’ve built on the edge of their property on city-owned land. Only Bradford opposed. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 9:37 PM
graphicmatt.com
The compromise plan to speed up the Bathurst bus is APPROVED by council 20-3.
October 9, 2025 at 9:26 PM
graphicmatt.com
Up now: the Bathurst bus. After Council nixed plans to install RapidTO bus lanes north of Bloor, staff have recommended some tweaks to no-stopping zones and turning restrictions instead. But Councillor Holyday still has concerns. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 8:56 PM
graphicmatt.com
Holyday expresses some skepticism about the cost comparison in the report, but the rest of council generally likes what they're seeing. Council votes 22-1 to APPROVE more in-sourcing of tree pruning.
October 9, 2025 at 8:50 PM
graphicmatt.com
Up now: tree maintenance. At one point, the city was saving money by contracting out a lot of tree pruning to private vendors. These days, though, the cost is very similar. Insourcing could save money long-term and make operations more flexible, the report says. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 8:17 PM
graphicmatt.com
With no debate, Council APPROVES an expansion of the areas where free-floating car share services like Communauto can operate. The cars don't actually float. Vote is 22-1. secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...
October 9, 2025 at 8:14 PM
graphicmatt.com
Councillor Thompson's motion to request stronger federal and provincial regulations on e-scooters and micromobility devices CARRIES 23-0.
October 9, 2025 at 8:11 PM
graphicmatt.com
Councillor Cheng moves to request the cops do more enforcement blitzes on e-scooters.
October 9, 2025 at 8:04 PM
graphicmatt.com
"I think the decals on the sidewalk are actually ridiculous," says Burnside. "If people are riding an e-bike or e-scooter on the sidewalk, the last thing we want them doing is looking down and reading messaging."

Still, he moves to ensure any decals added are approved by Transportation Services.
October 9, 2025 at 8:02 PM