Brad Bradford

Bradford's Instagram record on housing centers on increasing supply and reducing barriers to construction in Toronto. Bradford supports legalizing multiplexes, sixplexes, garden suites, laneway suites, missing middle and mid-rise buildings on Avenues, modular and rapid-build housing, and converting offices to homes. Bradford advocates cutting development charges (proposing 25% cuts), eliminating the angular plane rule, allowing single-egress stairs, removing parking minimums, and streamlining approvals. Bradford supports purpose-built rental, supportive housing with wraparound services (citing Cedarvale and Trenton projects), and Inclusionary Zoning. Bradford opposes Mayor Chow's luxury home tax and characterizes the public builder approach as ineffective bureaucracy, instead favoring partnerships with private and non-profit builders. Bradford proposed doubling the first-time homebuyer rebate and supports the federal Housing Accelerator Fund. Bradford has criticized the Vacant Home Tax's reverse-onus design while initially supporting the policy.

Bradford's transit positions span TTC reliability and safety, transit expansion (especially in Scarborough), congestion and gridlock, active transportation, and ride-share. Bradford supports a 15-minute TTC money-back guarantee, platform edge doors, uniformed police at every subway station, and station cleanliness/lighting standards. Bradford backs the Eglinton East and Scarborough LRTs, opposes what he calls Scarborough being left behind on funding, and supports building rapid transit separated from traffic. On gridlock, Bradford has called for a Congestion Relief Commissioner, opposed the RapidTO permanent reconfiguration, opposed Bloor West bike lanes while supporting Danforth bike lanes built with consultation, and proposed temporarily reopening King Street to vehicles. Bradford opposes the rideshare cap, supports Bike Share expansion, electric buses, fare freezes, and the Fair Pass program. Bradford has consistently framed transit and traffic as core city responsibilities requiring accountability.

Bradford's Instagram record on safety and crime is extensive and centers on a recurring theme that Toronto "feels less safe." Bradford ties this to specific files: TTC safety (motion to place officers in all subway stations, improve lighting/cleanliness, build platform edge doors), encampments near schools/daycares/playgrounds (a 200m/48-hour clearance proposal), bubble zones around places of worship, schools, and daycares (advocacy from 2024 through passage in May 2025), gun violence ("no bail, go to jail"), and youth violence prevention via community partnerships. Bradford also pushed motorized watercraft restrictions at Woodbine Beach, jet ski licensing, road safety/Vision Zero measures, school safety zones, automated speed enforcement, and Bail Compliance Units inside Toronto Police. Bradford repeatedly opposes Mayor Chow's encampment protocol and police budget cuts, and supports fully funding the police.

Bradford's positions on taxes and fiscal policy center on opposition to property tax increases under Mayor Chow, characterizing increases of roughly 25% over three years as unaffordable and not matched by service improvements (DExr-I1yGsL, DE2RXwfRFVN, DTjStlDiiBi). Bradford opposes the Vacant Home Tax and luxury land transfer tax (DW2FRA0ANLp, DSabj0Mjkvw, C56wHybPF4Q) and characterizes draws from reserve funds for operating spending as financially irresponsible (DUUBF2LEktS, DTQlvAvD_TV). Bradford supports targeted tax cuts, including a 25% industrial property tax reduction funded by the tax stabilization reserve in response to U.S. tariffs (DF7o2skxQ5R, DF8fbeLy4kM, DIcIi5byoAH), open tendering projected to save $200M annually (CsUNNf3AEZE), and a property tax subclass reducing rates for live music venues (CLfQJ_UhWry). Bradford also advocates for a new fiscal deal with senior governments (Cylzy9NALa_, CG3Fps3hZRc).

Bradford's parks and environment positions emphasize expanding recreation infrastructure, protecting green space, and meeting Toronto's climate goals through practical measures. Bradford opposes closing recreation facilities such as Weston Arena and supports building new amenities including pickleball courts, cricket pitches, splash pads, and a disc golf course (DVZirJagS2O, DLiv7hNMxlq, C8htIfigJoV, C-bDR2gyR5H, DTVfhqCiMQL). Bradford backs Toronto's net-zero by 2040 target, EV charging expansion, district energy, and the TransformTO strategy (CgPjxB6ORFp, Cf1aVDrrVWi, CR6kRktrfna). Bradford advocates for ravine protection (Small's Creek), tree planting, and shoreline protection (CKjqtNfB45D, DOeSxmkDvUQ, B1_4fqdFYPC). Bradford opposes the toboggan ban, the parks budget increase to hire 122 staff, and tent encampments in parks (C2isoN1NNF5, DFgE1BJSnGq, DQxGSD7jrXm). Bradford emphasizes "back-to-basics" service delivery: clean parks, open pools, functioning washrooms, and bylaw enforcement at beaches (DN-w-7QDpMj, DLQhveAufkH, DRholf-lx3s).

Bradford's infrastructure positions center on reducing congestion, accelerating construction, and reliably delivering core services like snow clearing, road repair, and pothole filling. Bradford has repeatedly called for 24/7 construction (notably on the Gardiner Expressway), off-site/modular fabrication, a Congestion Relief Commissioner ("Traffic Czar"), and tighter coordination of road and transit closures. Bradford opposes tearing down the Gardiner and supports the provincial upload of the Gardiner and DVP. On winter operations, Bradford frames snow removal as a non-optional core service, criticizes timing/scheduling failures, and supports prioritizing main roads, sidewalks, and transit access. Bradford supports complete streets, maintained protected bike lanes on Richmond/Adelaide, road-safety design, EV charging, community facilities (libraries, arenas, pools, community centres), and flood-protection infrastructure. Bradford opposes a $150M Railpath extension and a Foxbar Road median, framing them as poor prioritization.

Bradford's civic engagement positions emphasize community consultation, door-knocking, and direct constituent dialogue as core to municipal work. Bradford repeatedly states that resident feedback and "local experts" should shape policy from planning through implementation (CeMsGKcLX69 misattribution aside, see CdOorJ6uYiV, Cf9TcTSrfK-, CCl4ptXhZxc, CUvS2zjrRq1). Bradford has hosted budget consultations, telephone town halls with 2,000+ participants, virtual community meetings, and a podcast (CKzBAABh2tl, DUdUQSkkQHd, DOo9KhZABUD). Bradford supports flag-raisings, laneway renamings, and recognition events for Toronto's diverse communities (Jewish, Tamil, Armenian, Ukrainian, Bangladeshi, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+) (DSWHgnWDKpn, DJy5tn5tigh, CrbQibiAuzm, ChpvK4srpj5, CWySJSmLlR8). Bradford opposes processes seen as limiting deputation or muzzling discussion (DMK2uOQgteh, DMh0vq3Ah6o) and criticized charging admission to the FIFA Fan Festival as inaccessible (DXNNYyaDSsq). Bradford frames good governance as listening, building trust, and connecting broad agendas to daily concerns (DMK2uOQgteh, DQM_ctjgnod).

Bradford's governance-ethics positions center on a "back to basics" frame: City Hall should focus on a small set of core services (safety, mobility, affordability, parks, snow clearing) rather than expanding scope (DP_5x5EEV9I, DC2JInwSBDO, DRholf-lx3s). Bradford repeatedly calls for accountability, transparency, and value for money, including livestreaming the Mayor's press conferences, strengthening the Auditor General, zero tolerance for employee fraud, and performance metrics in collective bargaining (DLA96NhSJlq, DUqlANUDKKH, DA4MS6ySTPg). Bradford criticizes Mayor Chow for deflecting blame on snow, pools, FIFA fees, the Gardiner, and bike lanes (DGjJrWmS8zt, DLS-CKDuvMY, DXfZVpDDbXy, C90bVJNSuKq). Bradford supports a "culture of yes," faster permits, ending delays/deferrals, evidence over ideology, and intergovernmental cooperation (DBbDa3eOlQ3, DXz7S9euglk, C3p_JTpA7p_). Bradford also supported ranked ballots and opposed using the notwithstanding clause for Toronto ward boundaries (CF2m1snh5pn, BnkTXWbhwwO).

Bradford's small business and economy positions consistently center on tax relief, red-tape reduction, and main-street vibrancy. Bradford backs property tax cuts for small businesses, championing a 25% reduction in the small business sub-tax class (DUIl3M_Dx5X, DF5xWk4SBYU, C3YP-ueAeW7) and earlier securing a 15% reduction (CWGjlUrAK0K, CVQPG8erZNo). Bradford pushes faster permit processing and patio reform, including a motion changing the patio objection threshold to 25% of notified neighbours (DMgZzjFSD9Y, DMPy-G5Aj9a). Bradford promoted CafeTO and Amplified Music on Patios as pandemic recovery tools (CWHEJK1LojO, CR7QDkgrYyk) and chaired the Toronto Music Advisory Committee on a citywide Music Strategy (CcEF3Ozu5M3). On tariffs, Bradford urges using city reserves and tax cuts to protect manufacturing jobs (DF7o2skxQ5R, DGyGAp0yfRv) and supports innovation, tech investment, and global competitiveness (DKrn4XDTdU, DOy1A8lgDpo).

Bradford's Instagram presence on social services spans pandemic response, homelessness, mental health, food security, reconciliation, and community inclusion. Bradford supports expanding shelters, supportive housing, mental health and addiction supports, and an outreach-first approach to encampments where shelter is offered before removal (DTu89cQjtBR, DMK2uOQgteh, DRCZSYbjSpb). Bradford frames addiction and mental health as provincial health-care responsibilities and argues the federal government should fund refugee shelter costs (DSZ7R5JgJZS, DQwumxDjYhU, CtW8t0Pp_Ix). Bradford backs investments in arts funding, the Tamil Community Centre, seniors programs, and Toronto Rent Bank as a permanent program (DCX1fRQNc0a, DHzTfsny-ut, CePKa3EuuIj). Bradford consistently expresses solidarity with 2SLGBTQ+, Jewish, Muslim, Indigenous, Tamil, Ukrainian, and Black communities and opposes hate-based discrimination (DJwW46pyNSo, CZU1A-COwLS, CqdUY-9Ag4L). During COVID-19, Bradford promoted targeted vaccine clinics in hot-spot neighbourhoods and mental-health fundraising for Michael Garron Hospital (CNctisNh0X6, CMXWtifhSrK).