Brad Bradford calls for police at every TTC station, platform-edge doors to improve safety

City councillor and mayoral hopeful Brad Bradford is calling for more safety measures at TTC stations, including the much-talked-about installation of platform-edge doors along the transit system.

The Ward 19 Beaches-East York councillor also wants to see police patrols as well as standardized cleanliness and lighting at every station. He plans to bring forth a member’s motion at the next city council meeting later this month that he says will help restore “safety and order” on the beleaguered system.

“People are actually changing their travel patterns in Toronto. Parents are telling their kids not to ride the subway, shift workers are taking longer routes to avoid certain stations, seniors are waiting for the next subway train so that they’re not alone in the car,” he said during an announcement Thursday outside Sherbourne subway station.

When asked how Bradford planned to pay for these initiatives, the councillor did not provide any specifics, saying only “it’s a question about prioritization.”

In June 2025, the TTC said the cost of retrofitting 70 stations along Lines 1, 2 and 4 with platform-edge doors would be around $4.1 billion. Meanwhile, a pilot project that would have seen the doors installed at TMU (Dundas) station was put on hold, citing the need for more study.

“The TTC has studied this for years. It’s not a question of whether or not it helps; it absolutely would. The question is whether City Hall has the urgency to deliver it.”

When pressed about challenges and costs of installing platform-edge doors in most of the older stations along the system, Bradford referenced cities such as Tokyo, Paris and Seoul, which have done this retrofit, adding, “There’s no reason why we can’t do this here in Toronto.”

“This is not a nice-to-have. This is a must-have.”

Bradford says having police at every station will help deter “violence and harassment before it starts,” while clear and transparent standards when it comes to cleanliness and lighting are more than just cosmetic improvements, “it’s actually about safety.”

“When a station is dark and dirty and neglected, it sends a signal that nobody is in charge and that disorder is tolerated.”

Bradford says City Hall’s response to TTC issues has been to “manage your expectations” while Torontonians have gotten used to the routine delays caused by the system’s “inadequate safety measures.”

Bradford confirmed on Wednesday that he would be putting his name on the ballot to be the city’s next mayor when registration opens on May 1. The next municipal election is scheduled for October 2026.