Matt Elliott

@GraphicMatt
890 Followers
44 Following
6K Posts
City columnist, contributing to
Toronto Star & writing City Hall Watcher. A lot about Toronto Politics and then some nerd stuff.
Humber College prof. (he/him)
City Hall Watcherhttps://cityhallwatcher.com
Matt Elliott6d ago

Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #379!

Charts about moving around Toronto, looking at the usage (and growth) of rideshare, transit and Bike Share. Plus: a new vision for the Ex, streetcar stops, and tickets for those jerks who park in bike lanes. https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/how-toronto-likes-to-move-it

How Toronto likes to move it

City Hall Watcher #379: A very moving issue, with charts about rideshare, TTC ridership, Bike Share usage, and more. Plus: TTC stop spacing, bike lane tickets, and a new vision for the Ex

City Hall Watcher
Matt ElliottApr 8

My @torontostar column this week: With Metrolinx not involved, the Waterfront East LRT is a big opportunity to dunk on the provincial transit agency and prove there’s a better, more affordable, and more transparent way to build transit.

Please don’t screw it up.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/with-metrolinx-out-of-the-picture-waterfront-lrt-is-a-chance-to-show-transit-can-be-built-on-budget/article_44626209-b9fd-4398-9a99-704aa45edca8.html

Matt Elliott: Why the Waterfront East LRT is a chance for Toronto to show Metrolinx the better way to build a transit project

City hall, the TTC and Waterfront Toronto need to make sure they mitigate some of the factors that have made Canada’s recent infrastructure projects some of the most expensive in the world.

Toronto Star
Matt ElliottApr 7

Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #378! And it’s FREE.

LOBBYIST WATCH returns, with details on island airport lobbying taking off, TTC security tech, jet ski rentals and smart speedbumps.

Plus: transit signal priority and, at last, hot dog carts

https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/yet-another-island-airport-lobbying

Yet another island airport lobbying effort takes flight

City Hall Watcher #378: Lobbyist Watch for March 2026, featuring airport expansion, a yacht club battle, the latest on Waymo, and smart speed bumps.

City Hall Watcher
Matt ElliottMar 31

My @torontostar column: There’s lots of disagreement about Toronto transit projects, but damn near everyone can agree about one thing: electrifying and increasing GO Train service is a great idea.

It’s a real shame Doug Ford’s government has screwed it up again.

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/upgrading-go-train-service-should-be-a-no-brainer-so-why-has-it-gone-off-the-rails-so-badly/article_198ae56a-c39f-4ba2-87fd-217fad3822e0.html

Matt Elliott: Upgrading GO train service should be a no-brainer. So why has it gone off the rails so badly?

There’s no bigger bang for the buck than upgrading GO train routes from limited-schedule commuter rail to fast-and-frequent rapid transit.

Toronto Star
Matt ElliottMar 30

Check your inbox: it’s City Hall Watcher #377!

Your complete recap of Council’s March meeting, with the most quotable quotes and a look at what the decision on city-run grocery stores means. Plus: a quick take on today’s big dev changes announcement. https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/p/council-votes-to-ground-airport-debate

Council votes to ground airport debate, sink a yacht club, and pay you to shovel snow

City Hall Watcher #377: Your complete recap of the March 2026 meeting of Toronto Council

City Hall Watcher
Show threadMatt ElliottMar 27

Finally, the end. Council's March 2026 meeting is OVER.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this thread and found it useful, the best way to say thanks is to buy a subscription to my newsletter, City Hall Watcher. It keeps these threads going and going and going https://toronto.cityhallwatcher.com/subscribe

Subscribe to City Hall Watcher

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Show threadMatt ElliottMar 27

One. Item. Left.

It's Mayor Olivia Chow's motion to oppose any presence of ICE at the FIFA World Cup.

And wow, no one wants to give a speech. It CARRIES 21-1. You know the one. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM39.60

Show threadMatt ElliottMar 27
On an item now about the city’s cultural district program, Cheng has moved to add Little Iran to the cultural district list. And Bradford has moved to add Banglatown. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM39.83
Show threadMatt ElliottMar 27
(A win for Bradford, but was that the outcome he wanted?)
Show threadMatt ElliottMar 27
The rest of Bradford's subway safety motion is APPROVED 23-0. https://secure.toronto.ca/council/agenda-item.do?item=2026.MM39.50