---
title: "Bradford pledges transit signal priority across the full streetcar network"
description: "Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford announced on October 18 that he would expand transit signal priority and signal preemption to every streetcar route in Toronto, including the two new LRT lines."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/toronto-2026/news/brad-bradford-transit-signal-priority-october-18"
last_updated: "2026-10-18T17:37:40.310Z"
---

Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford announced on October 18 that he would expand transit signal priority and signal preemption to every streetcar route in Toronto if elected mayor, including the Crosstown LRT and the Finch West LRT. CityNews Toronto reported the announcement, which Bradford made at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

Bradford said that when a major event starts at 8 a.m. and the city asks people to take transit, the subway cannot start running at the same hour the event begins. "They will be open and running at 6 a.m. when I'm the mayor for the Toronto Marathon," he said, as reported by CityNews Toronto.

## What the plan covers

Bradford's announced plan has four parts, as reported by CityNews Toronto:

- Transit signal priority and signal preemption expanded to the full streetcar network, including the Crosstown LRT (Line 5 Eglinton) and the Finch West LRT (Line 6)
- The TTC and Metrolinx required to publish their work schedules 30 days in advance
- More construction shifted to off-peak or overnight hours to keep daytime traffic moving
- Cameras installed on city fleet vehicles to find potholes faster, rather than waiting for 311 calls

Bradford said gridlock costs the GTA $40 million a year and that the average Torontonian loses 100 hours annually in traffic delays. Those are Bradford's own figures. CityNews Toronto did not name an independent source for either number.

## What Chow has done and plans

CityNews Toronto reported that Mayor Olivia Chow has already implemented signal priority on the Crosstown LRT and the Finch West LRT. Her campaign says she plans to extend it to the Spadina, King and Queens Quay streetcar routes. In her time as mayor, the City spent $3 million to quadruple the number of traffic agents at busy downtown intersections, according to CityNews Toronto.

In a statement, Chow warned that Bradford cannot be trusted on public transit, saying he previously cut TTC services and raised fares. Those are Chow's claims about Bradford's record as a councillor.

## Where the two candidates stand heading into the final week

Voting day is October 26, eight days away. The two leading mayoral candidates have each put forward transit and traffic plans, and both have made pledges on signal priority, though Bradford's stated plan covers a larger part of the network than Chow's stated plan.

Voters who want to compare the two candidates' positions on transit can read their profiles at [Brad Bradford's page](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/brad-bradford) and [Olivia Chow's page](/on/toronto-2026/candidates/olivia-chow). Voting locations are listed by the City of Toronto; advance voting ran from October 6 to 11. On October 26, polling places open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/on/toronto-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.