Observing The City
@observingthecity.bsky.social
Observations from around the city (in most cases, Toronto)
Glad to see that the city is moving forward with 6km of cycle tracks on Kingston Road. It's a huge shame that due to Bill 212/60, they will not be able to connect it to Danforth East. I'm afraid ridership might not be very high as we end up with more bike lanes to nowhere.
November 28, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Glad to see that the city is moving forward with 6km of cycle tracks on Kingston Road. It's a huge shame that due to Bill 212/60, they will not be able to connect it to Danforth East. I'm afraid ridership might not be very high as we end up with more bike lanes to nowhere.
Commercial uses on major streets will be city-wide, all designations here (minus some carveouts): toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... and here are more community street examples (+ all other Old Toronto/East York wards). Stores/cafes also permitted on neighbourhood streets that abut parks/schools.
November 14, 2025 at 4:24 AM
Commercial uses on major streets will be city-wide, all designations here (minus some carveouts): toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis... and here are more community street examples (+ all other Old Toronto/East York wards). Stores/cafes also permitted on neighbourhood streets that abut parks/schools.
Commercial uses such as retail, restaurants, coffee shops, barbers, doctors' offices, gyms, and artist studios will now be allowed on residential parcels on "major streets" (example, 1st image). Corner stores and cafes will be allowed on corner lots abutting community streets (example, 2nd image).
November 14, 2025 at 4:22 AM
Commercial uses such as retail, restaurants, coffee shops, barbers, doctors' offices, gyms, and artist studios will now be allowed on residential parcels on "major streets" (example, 1st image). Corner stores and cafes will be allowed on corner lots abutting community streets (example, 2nd image).
So, Bike Share Toronto is very close to becoming profitable. For the first 8 months of the year it has a contribution margin of just $680,000. That is about 13 cents/trip. In 2024, it was 32 cents/trip.
November 4, 2025 at 4:56 AM
So, Bike Share Toronto is very close to becoming profitable. For the first 8 months of the year it has a contribution margin of just $680,000. That is about 13 cents/trip. In 2024, it was 32 cents/trip.
Our brand new $128 million dollar civic asset (St Lawrence Market North) sitting empty on a beautiful Sunday. Meanwhile the city refuses to make Market Street pedestrianized year-round because adjacent market BIA hasn’t agreed to “animate it” in winter. Where is your own “animation”?
November 2, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Our brand new $128 million dollar civic asset (St Lawrence Market North) sitting empty on a beautiful Sunday. Meanwhile the city refuses to make Market Street pedestrianized year-round because adjacent market BIA hasn’t agreed to “animate it” in winter. Where is your own “animation”?
I have added Bike Share data to my bicycle counter website. It should be updated in relatively real-time (about every 10 minutes)!
October 28, 2025 at 9:26 PM
I have added Bike Share data to my bicycle counter website. It should be updated in relatively real-time (about every 10 minutes)!
Is there going to be bollards in this first picture? I see them on North side and to east and west, but no pink markings here.
October 25, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Is there going to be bollards in this first picture? I see them on North side and to east and west, but no pink markings here.
Enough said.
October 21, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Enough said.
Did you know Toronto has 15 permanent bicycle counters around the city? I have created a portal that should be updated monthly when the city updates their open data. It's live now at: observingthecity.ca
October 11, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Did you know Toronto has 15 permanent bicycle counters around the city? I have created a portal that should be updated monthly when the city updates their open data. It's live now at: observingthecity.ca
Just have to make it prettier... deployment coming 🔜
October 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Just have to make it prettier... deployment coming 🔜
One intersection on Bloor saw average daily bike ridership consistently hover around 6000 for the past 4 months. This is a 20% increase over last year. Yet, Premier Ford wants to target this lane for removal. I wanted to highlight this, one year after the passage of Bill 212.
October 11, 2025 at 4:48 AM
One intersection on Bloor saw average daily bike ridership consistently hover around 6000 for the past 4 months. This is a 20% increase over last year. Yet, Premier Ford wants to target this lane for removal. I wanted to highlight this, one year after the passage of Bill 212.
Imanishi Sando Bar and McCormick Park cafe are amazing, but would not be allowed to exist in most of Toronto. Our parks deserve great independent businesses within them. Our imagination of what can be included in our park space needs to be expanded!
October 5, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Imanishi Sando Bar and McCormick Park cafe are amazing, but would not be allowed to exist in most of Toronto. Our parks deserve great independent businesses within them. Our imagination of what can be included in our park space needs to be expanded!
Bike share revenue is up over 30% compared to last year, and now has close to 300k unique customers. That is 10% of the population of Toronto! I also think that their internal forecasts are a little pessimistic pinning 2025 rides at 8.1 million. I forecast closer to 8.3M when the year is over.
September 25, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Bike share revenue is up over 30% compared to last year, and now has close to 300k unique customers. That is 10% of the population of Toronto! I also think that their internal forecasts are a little pessimistic pinning 2025 rides at 8.1 million. I forecast closer to 8.3M when the year is over.
Will anyone take responsibility for what is happening with the Yonge Street re-design. First proposed 10 years ago. Approved 4 years ago with a recommended design. Original timeline had construction starting in 2023. Now apparently there will be 3 (?) more years of design!!!!
September 14, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Will anyone take responsibility for what is happening with the Yonge Street re-design. First proposed 10 years ago. Approved 4 years ago with a recommended design. Original timeline had construction starting in 2023. Now apparently there will be 3 (?) more years of design!!!!
Northbound rush hour on University. It’s the traffic lights, not the bike lanes.
September 3, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Northbound rush hour on University. It’s the traffic lights, not the bike lanes.
These people live in Toronto (Mohawk), Ontario (Iroquonian), Canada (Iroquoian)! That damn woke Jacques Cartier.
August 21, 2025 at 4:43 AM
These people live in Toronto (Mohawk), Ontario (Iroquonian), Canada (Iroquoian)! That damn woke Jacques Cartier.
Great allocation of road space just north of Bloor! Bus, streetcar and cars all sharing one lane so there can be room for 4 parked private vehicles.
August 9, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Great allocation of road space just north of Bloor! Bus, streetcar and cars all sharing one lane so there can be room for 4 parked private vehicles.
Don’t worry, according to Dianne Saxe there are no issues with traffic/bunching on Bathurst not during rush hour. (Taken at 7pm on a Saturday)
August 9, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Don’t worry, according to Dianne Saxe there are no issues with traffic/bunching on Bathurst not during rush hour. (Taken at 7pm on a Saturday)
Absolutely feckless letter from @mayoroliviachow.ca on implementing bus lanes between Eglinton and Bloor. These lanes were first proposed 5 years ago. The “path forward” was presented in the original plan. It could be approved today. It won’t be because the mayor doesn’t care if it is.
July 16, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Absolutely feckless letter from @mayoroliviachow.ca on implementing bus lanes between Eglinton and Bloor. These lanes were first proposed 5 years ago. The “path forward” was presented in the original plan. It could be approved today. It won’t be because the mayor doesn’t care if it is.
@mayoroliviachow.ca has been a complete failure on public transportation. We know what solutions would have a lasting impact on mitigating traffic, council has re-affirmed wanting transit priority lanes for a decade. No follow through and no mention of improving transit in her "bucket list".
July 9, 2025 at 9:20 PM
@mayoroliviachow.ca has been a complete failure on public transportation. We know what solutions would have a lasting impact on mitigating traffic, council has re-affirmed wanting transit priority lanes for a decade. No follow through and no mention of improving transit in her "bucket list".
2024 had around 7 million rides. www.instagram.com/p/DE2d0_FxBn...
June 17, 2025 at 4:34 AM
2024 had around 7 million rides. www.instagram.com/p/DE2d0_FxBn...
Well, that was fast. The daily trip record for Bike Share Toronto was just smashed yesterday as 44,000 trips were recorded. Bikes were free yesterday in a promotion with Tangerine Bank.
June 15, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Well, that was fast. The daily trip record for Bike Share Toronto was just smashed yesterday as 44,000 trips were recorded. Bikes were free yesterday in a promotion with Tangerine Bank.
RT to scare councillors Holyday and Crisanti.
June 14, 2025 at 4:35 AM
RT to scare councillors Holyday and Crisanti.
Very disappointed with Councillor Dianne Saxe, who ran on improving reliability and efficiency of transit. She wants to exempt Bloor to Dupont from RapidTO. Climate champions don't give priority to street parking on our arterials over transit lines that move 40,000 people a day.
June 11, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Very disappointed with Councillor Dianne Saxe, who ran on improving reliability and efficiency of transit. She wants to exempt Bloor to Dupont from RapidTO. Climate champions don't give priority to street parking on our arterials over transit lines that move 40,000 people a day.