Getting around our streets

Keep an eye on the work already happening

London has a lot of infrastructure work underway. The City's March 2026 Renew announcement described about $285 million in new projects and another $100 million in continuing work from the previous year. That includes roads, intersections, bridges, transit corridors and underground services. These are the announced program figures. Final construction costs and completed work need their own reporting. I'll focus on how the City chooses and coordinates these projects, and how residents can check what happened to the money already committed. ^[1]

You experience a street differently depending on how you use it. Someone with a mobility aid needs a clear path. A bus passenger needs a reachable stop. A delivery driver needs access, and a person cycling needs a safe connection. Households also depend on the water and drainage systems underneath. I'll ask Council to look at those services together and explain what each project improves. When your road is closed for weeks, you should at least be able to understand the reason, the next step and who can answer a question.

Show why one repair comes before another

London's Corporate Asset Management Policy was reviewed and amended in March 2026. It already covers planning over an asset's life, risk, finances, climate and safe, accessible services. ^[3] I'll build on that work with a short annual explanation of the next repair priorities. Residents should be able to see what staff consider urgent, what is being put off and what that delay could mean. It should connect the policy to the actual streets and services people recognise.

Surface condition is one part of the assessment. A rough road, damaged sidewalk and vulnerable water pipe can call for different responses. I'll ask staff to show the evidence, what remains uncertain and why they recommend maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement. The most visible reconstruction won't always be the best use of money. Council still has to balance local concerns against risks across the network. Putting the reasoning in public gives residents a fair chance to question it and understand why another neighbourhood's project is going first.

Coordinate what's above and below the road

Renew London already includes underground water and sewer work alongside transportation projects, and its renewal program coordinates several kinds of construction. The public map also includes some private utility projects. ^[2] I'll seek an annual look at where renewal, utilities, housing servicing and approved mobility projects overlap. Staff can assess whether different timing would avoid digging up the same stretch repeatedly. Urgent repairs still need to happen when they're needed, even when another partner's schedule doesn't line up.

For major corridors, I'll ask why the underground work and surface changes are scheduled together and what other options staff considered. That should include smaller interventions or different stages where practical. Utility dependencies need to be visible before we promise a timetable. Emergency response, waste pickup and deliveries also need access arrangements. I can help bring partners together and bring policy choices to Council. The project team keeps responsibility for technical decisions, with enough information for the rest of us to understand the choices.

Fix the gaps in an everyday trip

Council approved the Mobility Master Plan in July 2025. London has adopted Vision Zero principles, and the road safety page describes work on a Safe Mobility Action Plan. ^[4][5] I'll ask staff for a focused set of safety and accessibility improvements that fit funded renewal, alongside urgent sites needing a separate response. Where do people actually need to cross? Can someone using a mobility device complete the route? Does a useful sidewalk suddenly end? Those are the sorts of questions that should shape the list.

Local observation belongs alongside network data, especially from people who walk or roll through a location regularly. Options could include crossings, sidewalk repairs, clearer sightlines, signal timing or designs that support appropriate speeds. Each needs engineering review and an explanation of effects on transit, emergency vehicles, parking and turns. Some choices will be difficult. I'll ask for the reasoning and a check after installation, using serious injury trends, actual conditions and accessibility to judge whether the change helped. The drawings should be followed by a look at how the street works.

Make the temporary route usable too

Residents can already use Renew London's construction map, individual project updates and Service London to find information or report concerns. ^[1][2] I'll ask staff to test those tools from the perspective of someone whose stop moved, whose business entrance is hidden or whose sidewalk is blocked. A reported problem needs an assigned response. The current route, next milestone and project contact should be easy to find. Keeping the information current is part of the work, even when the project has become complicated.

For City contracts, I'll seek recommended requirements for accessible temporary paths, crossings, residential and business access, notice of major changes and correction of unsafe detours. Inspections should look at what people actually encounter, including signs and obstructions. If normal access can't be maintained, explain the alternative and how long it's expected to last. Nearby projects need coordination too. Emergency work, unexpected conditions and other organisations' schedules can change things. When that happens, residents need a revised arrangement and a timely explanation. Small details like a sign pointing the wrong way can make a bad week alot harder.

Include the bills that come later

For significant new infrastructure proposals, I'll ask for the construction estimate, contingency, operating costs and future renewal needs. A construction grant can leave years of maintenance for the City to fund. A larger project may offer more benefits while also creating a bigger ongoing bill. Council should see staged options where practical, what other work would be deferred and how the choice affects the wider capital program. Claims about savings from procurement or coordination need a supported comparison.

Staff should show the lawful funding mix, including municipal budgets, eligible growth contributions, confirmed federal or provincial support and proposed borrowing. We need to know which money is available for this project and which contributions are still being sought. Explain effects on taxes or utility rates where relevant. When a contract changes, show the original scope, the reason and the revised forecast. The price at award is a useful starting point. We also need to know what residents received by the end and what it will cost to maintain.

Bring street, utility and transit work onto one delivery program. Ask contractors for priced ways to bring BRT completion forward, with a first year target and clear hospital and business access arrangements. Coordinate that work with the first rail stage plan before final surfacing where an approved change could avoid later rework. The LRT construction start target is 2028, with its first package separately designed, permitted and funded. The budget chapter carries the proposed allocations and release conditions.

What I'll ask for during the term

In the first 100 days, I'll seek a review of repair priorities, access arrangements on major projects and gaps in public reporting. Staff should bring forward a manageable set of safety and accessibility candidates with criteria that work across neighbourhoods. The review needs to show what can improve within approved programs and what requires a budget decision. Establishing the starting position gives us something useful to compare future results with.

In year one, I'll seek a costed first package of improvements and standard public reporting for major construction. The transit acceleration review should show what can finish sooner and the price of doing so. Use specialist contractors for defined packages where they offer better delivery and value. Keep one clear lead across the work. In years two to four, seek annual renewal reviews, construction reports and checks after selected projects open. Residents should see why a scope, cost or date changes.