FORD ADMINISTRATION TOP ACCOMPLISHMENTS LIST
✔ Introduced a Customer Service Reception Desk in City Hall
✔ Made Nathan Phillips Square Safe and Inviting for Citizens
✔ Improving Communication with the City through 311and mobile apps.
✔ Improving TIC service
✔ Made TIC an Essential Service
✔ Improving Toronto EMS and Toronto Fire Services
✔ Renewed public faith in TCHC
✔ Made Council more Transparent & Accountable
✔ Posted More Expenses Online
✔ Adopted Whistleblower Protection By-law
✔ Eliminated the Personal Vehicle Tax (PVT)
✔ Reduced Council Expense Budgets
✔ Contracted out Garbage Collection
✔ Stopped out-of-control spending growth at City Hall.
✔ Lower Debt- Reduced planned debt by $808 Million
✔ Found over $600 million in permanent efficiency savings
✔ Balanced the operating budget,for the first time ever,without using any prior year surplus.
✔ Total reduction in City staff of 1,346 since 2011.
✔ New Surplus Management Strategy: Adopted new financial management strategies.
✔ New Collective Agreement with full and part-time workers
✔ Eliminated the S-cent bag tax: Ensures that retailers have a choice in charging for plastic bags.
✔ Focused public debate on building subways as Toronto’s long-term rapid transit strategy.
✔ Investing in the TIC: The 2013 budget included over $500 million in new TIC funding.
-Rolled out new subway trains (Toronto Rockets) on the Yonge- University- Spadina Line.
-Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension: Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extention Project is underway.
-Union Station Revitalization: Final project completion in 2016.
-Station Modernization Program: Existing station upgrades, including Pape and Dufferin stations.
-SignalSystem Replacement: Signal System replacement will improve subway system capacity and reliability.
✔ Investing in Toronto’s Future:Infrastructure Renewal- State of Good Repair- CapitalWorks:
-Resurfacing hundreds of kilometres of roads and filling around 200,000 potholes every year.
-Putting $500 million into maintaining the Gardiner Expressway- a key transportation artery.
-Putting money into maintaining and upgrading roads, bridges,sidewalks and expressways.
-Upgrading decades old playground equipment and building new community facilities.
-Upgrading 26 Municipal Child Care Centres and constructing a new facility.
-Building new community centres in York and Regent Park.
-Upgrading and maintaining 16 homeless shelters and building a new facility.
-Investing $10 billion, over the next 10 years,to maintain aging infrastructure in a state of good repair.
-Investing $2.5 billion over the next 10 years into water mains,sewers and other vital water infrastructure.
✔ Fighting Gridlock: Traffic Management Strategy to keep Toronto moving:Created a plan of action to improve the flow of traffic at over 1000 intersections, across every corner of the city.
✔ Launched a comprehensive bicycle strategy
✔ Economic Growth and Job Creation Strategy:After a prolonged period of moving sideways,the unemployment rate in Toronto is very noticeably dropping:
✔ Collaborating for Competitiveness- Toronto’s Economic Development Plan:
✔ Chicago Business Mission:Led the largest delegation of Toronto leaders on a business mission.