Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Air Quality

Mayor Says Toronto Will be North America’s Greenest City

toronto_bike_rack.jpg

Toronto Mayor David Miller vowed last week to make Toronto "the leading environmental city in North America." The Toronto Star reports:

Mayor David Miller is pledging to slash the city's greenhouse gas emissionsby 30 per cent by 2020 and a whopping 80 per cent by 2050.

Millerand city council will unveil a plan today that sets ambitious targetsfor reducing emissions that lead to climate change, increasingso-called green energy usage and encouraging retrofitting of city homesand businesses to make them more energy efficient.

Miller said the city could levy higher taxes against SUV owners than owners of hybrid vehicles. He has also talked about taxes on parking lots in areas that are well served by public transit, including the downtown core. "You need to make simple changes that encourage people to change their behaviour," he said. "We will be creative, and we will offer creative suggestions to Torontonians. Some will be radical."

Photo: William Self/Flickr

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Find Out Exactly How Much Downtown Highways Cost Your City

"How much does it actually cost to be car dependent?" This Dallas-based analyst set out to answer that question for cities across the U.S.

December 15, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Are Under Repair

The Biden administration's Reconnecting Communities program received $14 billion in requests for $1 billion total funding. A new bill would greatly expand it.

December 15, 2025

Friday Video: The H.A.R.D. Fight Against Hit-and-Runs

Streetsblog USA senior editor Kea Wilson sits down with Tiffanie Stanfield of Fighting H.A.R.D.

December 12, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Have an Apartment in Every Garage

New York City is turning homes for cars into homes for people.

December 12, 2025

How Chicago Cyclists Are Fighting Food Insecurity (And ICE Crackdowns)

"We're on bikes, we're outside, and we see street vendors not only as beloved members of our community but also as some of the most vulnerable, because they have to be outside to earn a living. And so that's where our role as community organizers, advocates, and caring neighbors comes into play."

December 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: ‘The Dawn of the NIMBYs’

"We kind of live in this eternal present of cities being a certain way and always seeming to remain that way." And that's bad, says today's guest.

December 11, 2025
See all posts