CITY COUNCILLOR
LILY CHENG
WILLOWDALE WARD 18

This week, I requested a briefing on the rollout of the Smart Signal program for 2026. I was happy to learn the Willowdale area will see a major share of the City of Toronto’s Smart Traffic Signal rollout, with about 25 intersections targeted, fully half of the city’s planned 50 new installations for 2026. That means Willowdale alone will receive 50% of all new smart signals, a significant concentration compared to the roughly 200 smart signals already deployed citywide by th

Last year, I attended the Smart City Summit in Taipei, where I learned about the work of the Circular Economy Foundation, founded by Charles Huang. I was inspired by his knowledge and enthusiasm, learning a great deal as he made a presentation to me and the councillors who were part of my delegation. All of us left knowing a great deal more about the concepts behind a circular economy and ideas for implementation. As Toronto moves forward with its 10-Year Circular Economy Roa

It was a bittersweet meeting as we gathered as the Yonge Street Tragedy Memorial Steering Committee last week to discuss the next phase of work on the long-term memorial. This group of amazing community members played a pivotal role in caring for our community after the tragedy and has stayed engaged over the years. Many of us have continued to deepen our work in the service of Willowdale, inspired by the way the community came together after such a difficult moment. I was gl

With the recent warm weather, snow operations teams are actively repairing potholes across Willowdale. A recent "pothole blitz” was conducted on Feb 28th throughout the city, and additional repair days will continue throughout the spring. So far this year, in our ward, 311 has received 283 service requests regarding pothole repairs, 260 have been completed, and currently 23 requests are in progress. Currently, the estimated time for repair upon submission of a service reques

After more than a year of study, consultation, and technical analysis, the North York at the Centre - Final Options and Directions Report was tabled at the Planning and Housing Committee on February 26. We are so grateful to the 22 residents who showed up, virtually and in person, to make deputations. Your voices matter, and it’s always key for staff to hear directly from those most impacted by the policies we pass. This Secondary Plan update will establish a new long-term

The Mayor’s Budget passed at our Special City Council meeting with very few amendments. You can CLICK HERE to read more about the local and city-wide investments included this year, but I want to highlight a few new wins that happened this month that directly benefit Willowdale. The Mayor provided: $35,000 to address the shortfall facing the Yonge North York BIA in organizing our long-standing Canada Day celebration at Mel Lastman Square . This support ensures the event ca

As Willowdale and the broader North York Centre continue to grow, the City is reviewing the Secondary Plan to guide how our neighbourhood evolves over the next decade. This review includes proposed direction for new housing, jobs, public spaces, transportation, parks, and community services to support up to 100,000 more residents . Your input is critical. We want to hear from Willowdale residents about what matters most in shaping the future of our community — from housing a

Metrolinx has shared several new construction notices related to early works for the Yonge North Subway Extension project near Yonge Street and Steeles Avenue. Residents and businesses in the area may notice upcoming activity, including: Installation of underground monitoring equipment at multiple locations along the corridor, including (1) Steeles Avenue & Yonge Street, and (2) Connaught Avenue, west of Yonge Installation of underground monitoring equipment on Connaught Aven

This week’s City Council meeting was unusually short — we wrapped up before sunset! That happened for two reasons: No member motions were allowed, and with the new year and the budget process underway, not all committees have met yet, resulting in a lighter agenda. Even so, there were two key issues I want to highlight for you. 1. A Future with Very Little Visitor Parking Recent provincial legislation has removed the City’s ability to require visitor or accessible parking i

Today, we capped off a multi-week Budget Committee journey by presenting a set of recommendations to the Mayor, who will release her version of the Budget on February 1 . I am grateful to all Willowdale residents who stayed engaged—from the initial consultation at Memorial Hall, to the Willowdale Youth Council information session with deputation training, to our Virtual Budget Town Hall (see photo below) and this week’s Budget Deputation Meetings, where we heard a wide rang

On Tues. Jan 20 and Wed. Jan 21, I attended the Public Deputations on the 2026 City Budget to hear Torontonians input. Here's what we heard: Residents repeatedly emphasized that Toronto’s public health, mental health, and social services are under severe strain . Frontline workers and community members described staffing shortages, burnout, wage disparities, and retention challenges that are limiting access to preventive care, Indigenous health programs, sexual health service

The City of Toronto is implementing new zoning changes that will allow more housing to be built near transit , following direction from the Province. These changes affect areas near 120 transit stations across the city, including TTC subway stations, three of them in Willowdale. The goal is to make better use of land close to transit by allowing additional housing options while supporting complete, connected communities. In August 2025, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and

I'm happy to share an upgrade is coming to Willowdale's electricity system ! Toronto Hydro is rebuilding the electrical distribution system to improve the reliability of your electrical service. This rebuild includes upgrading overhead electrical cables and replacing hydro poles on City-owned property. The boundaries for the project include Steeles Avenue East (North), Lillian Street (East), Centre Avenue (South), and Dumont Street (West). The work is expected to begin next m