Emails obtained by the Toronto Sun reveal that Toronto Councillor Dianne Saxe pushed for the removal of dedicated on-street parking spots on Bathurst Street between Bloor and Dupont Streets as part of the RapidTO bus lane rollout, even as city bureaucrats expressed a desire to retain them. The documents show a clash between Saxe and the Toronto Parking Authority (TPA), which favored keeping as many parking spots as possible.
Councillor Pushes for Parking Removal
In emails dated May and June 2025, Saxe communicated with top city officials, including TTC strategy boss Josh Colle, advocating for reduced parking availability and hours on the east side of Bathurst. On May 29, 2025, she wrote to city bureaucrats suggesting a time-of-day bus lane and measures such as banning left turns and increasing parking costs. By June 2, she explicitly requested using TPA data to reduce the number of parking spots.
Aviva Levy, a TPA official, responded on June 2, 2025, stating, "We are in favour of retaining as much parking on Bathurst (between) Dupont (and) Bloor as possible, but recognize for efficient transit operation, some stalls may need to be repurposed." Levy noted that 138 parking spots could be affected. By June 4, transportation services appeared to reconsider the removals, but Saxe pressed forward, writing to staff, "There is lots of opportunity to reduce parking availability and hours on the east side."
Impact on Residents and Businesses
Paul Macchiusi of Citizens of Toronto, formerly Protect Bathurst, criticized the changes, saying the removal of parking spots from midday until after 7 p.m., including weekends, has harmed local businesses and residents. "Parents can’t pick up their kids anymore. It’s like these little things that the councillor is overlooking that’s directly affecting her constituents," he said. He argued that the local arts centre at 918 Bathurst St. is typically closed during allowed parking hours, making the restrictions impractical.
Saxe defended the parking removals as the "best compromise" to speed up the TTC’s No. 7 bus, which she described as notoriously slow. She emphasized the public benefit of improved bus service for thousands of Torontonians in her University-Rosedale ward. "I think there’s a very substantial public benefit," she said, adding that the changes have "definitely" made the bus more reliable.
Data and Disputes
The TPA data cited by Saxe showed 28% average daily peak occupancy for parking spots on that stretch, but Levy warned of a caveat: "potentially up to half of parkers" don’t pay for parking and are missed in the data. Saxe claimed to have more recent numbers indicating lower non-compliance. Jacquelyn Hayward, a director with transportation services, stated that the 277 spaces removed along Bathurst had "average daily maximum parking utilization rates of 10% to 39%." Macchiusi disputed these figures, noting that the west side of Bathurst is often jammed with cars, especially on weekends.
The RapidTO rollout, approved by City Council in a 20-3 vote in July 2025, included red dedicated bus lanes south of Bloor Street and parking removals north of Bloor. The initiative faced controversy, with Etobicoke Councillor Stephen Holyday deriding it as "CongestionTO." Saxe noted that most of her constituents don't drive, making bus service improvements a priority.
Implementation and Aftermath
The TTC did not provide data on RapidTO's impact on bus speed by publication time. However, issues such as peeling red paint on the lanes have emerged, which Saxe attributed to cold-weather application. Macchiusi called RapidTO "obviously a disaster," citing worsened traffic and long lineups at condo parking lots. Saxe defended the timing, noting the need to prepare for the World Cup, though data from Moneris showed only modest spending increases in tourist areas during the tournament.
