Brad Bradford

Bradford's Instagram content presents housing as a central, sustained focus. Bradford frames Toronto as facing a housing affordability and starts crisis, citing figures such as 68 to 90 percent drops in housing starts, development charges rising over 1,000 percent since 2010, and roughly 30 percent of unit costs coming from taxes and fees (DR5QW7XEnaA, DRzoVv0DUq0, DJEbmKVtRhs). Bradford supports cutting development charges (including a 25 percent reduction motion), streamlining approvals, ending exclusionary zoning, legalizing multiplexes and sixplexes, permitting garden and laneway suites, single-egress stairs, modular and rapid-build construction, mid-rise on Avenues, and office-to-residential conversions (CsFNxk8N7cZ, DLV5wxxMq3u, CIjHtg6hSYJ, DHJ9qe-yi5e, C7U90-KvQUv). Bradford also supports supportive housing with wraparound services, Inclusionary Zoning, purpose-built rental incentives, doubling the first-time homebuyer rebate, and a vacant home tax, while opposing added housing taxes and the current Vacant Home Tax reverse-onus design (DQwumxDjYhU, CWEjlp8gxH4, DSabj0Mjkvw, DA_PG3-Rmwz).

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 treats public safety as a top mayoral priority, framing it around three themes: crime, congestion, and cost of living (DYHvvjDNgrj, DWFOTgOCdsC). Bradford consistently supports expanded police resources, including hiring 1,000 new front-line officers, placing officers in every TTC subway station, and creating Bail Compliance Units (DbJBNmfxr8V, DVhJtcuD2D5, CrO78kSgWyV). Bradford advocates bubble/safe access zones around places of worship, schools, and daycares to address antisemitism and hate crimes, culminating in the 2025 by-law's passage (DJ-VovGNcWT, DLqIg7XSd8J). Bradford opposes encampments near playgrounds, schools, and daycares and pushed 48-hour removal motions (DRAJ0bKguJx, DQ1p-5ECq1K). Bradford supports mandatory treatment for severe drug addiction, jet ski no-go zones at Woodbine Beach, enforcement against illegally modified e-bikes/mini-motorcycles, and criticizes Mayor Chow for insufficient action on TTC safety, encampments, and antisemitism (DcM1pudtgck, DMipr7MyKc4, DYnsJ1INHm5).

Bradford's public content frames Toronto taxes and fiscal policy around a "paying more, getting less" theme, citing cumulative property tax increases of roughly 25% over three years under Mayor Chow (DTc0JOhlNtb, DE2RXwfRFVN, DExr-I1yGsL). Bradford opposes tax increases above inflation (DFdqfBhSsqJ), opposes the Vacant Home Tax and the luxury/land transfer tax hike (DW2FRA0ANLp, DSabj0Mjkvw, C56wHybPF4Q), and characterizes reserve draws of $512M as unsustainable, predicting a 10.5% tax increase to follow (DUl96QKkebM, DT3EAOSkTOp). Bradford supports property tax cuts for industrial properties and small businesses (DIcIi5byoAH, DF6VebxtJGc, C3GD7yhgljQ), open tendering projected to save $200M annually (CsUNNf3AEZE), a fair intergovernmental fiscal deal (Cw2crzygFOv, CxLVkkfg2GY), and value-for-money reviews. Earlier posts (2021) reflect a role as Budget Committee Vice-Chair announcing efficiency-focused budgets (CLdC-GVhur1, CKB18vvjD_9).

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 record on social services spans homelessness, mental health, addictions, public health, recreation, equity-seeking communities, and support for seniors and newcomers. Bradford supports clearing encampments while pairing removals with shelter offers, outreach workers, supportive housing, and treatment (DTu89cQjtBR, DRDb8H5AUN5, DMK2uOQgteh, DRholf-lx3s). Bradford frames addictions and mental health as provincial health care jurisdiction and calls for a provincial mandatory treatment law, 100 recovery beds, and more residential treatment and supportive housing (DSZ7R5JgJZS, DcJe_umuSko, DcMnGotlW39). Bradford supports refugees and calls for federal funding of asylum-seeker supports (CtW8t0Pp_Ix, DQwumxDjYhU). Bradford champions arts funding, seniors programs, food banks, community centres (Tamil, Black History Society), and pledges to reform the 7am recreation registration system via a lottery model (DCX1fRQNc0a, DJy5tn5tigh, DZIQEviO7nH, DZLdPAgKCiu). Bradford consistently affirms 2SLGBTQ+, Indigenous, Jewish, Muslim, and Tamil communities.