Item - 2026.GG27.18

The General Government Committee:  

1. Received the report (February 23, 2026) from the General Manager, Fleet Services Division for information.

The purpose of this report is to provide an update to the General Government Committee on Fleet Services Division's efforts to reduce vehicle and equipment downtime ("availability") and minimize the number of underutilized vehicles ("utilization"), as requested by the General Government Committee on October 7, 2019 (Item - 2019.GL8.1). The most recent annual update was provided on April 7, 2025 (Item - 2025.GG20.13).

The City of Toronto operates the largest municipal fleet in Canada and one of the most specialized and diversified fleets in North America, comprising of 5,557 vehicles and equipment. Fleet Services Division supports client divisions, agencies, and corporations by providing fleet management and maintenance services and driver training to support the delivery of essential City services.

Fleet availability and utilization are critical performance metrics that support effective fleet management. Fleet availability measures the percentage of time fleet assets are available for use. In 2025, the City's fleet achieved 90 percent availability. This is a slight decrease over 2024 rates, primarily tied to a greater focus on proactive maintenance, which while has vehicles briefly taken out of service for maintenance activities, ultimately reduces costly unplanned repairs and breakdowns and supports improved reliability and more sustainable availability over time. This was reflected in improved ratio of Preventive Maintenance versus Corrective (or Reactive) Maintenance, increasing from 70 percent in 2024 to 77 percent in 2025. Availability is influenced by the following five factors, all of which have advanced over the year: workforce development, parts availability, operational performance management, promoting safe driver behaviour, and vendor partnerships.

Fleet utilization measures how effectively vehicles are being used. Fleet Services Division expanded utilization assessments beyond light-duty vehicles (Class 1 and 2) to include medium-duty vehicles (Class 3 to Class 5), providing a more comprehensive, data-driven view of high-value assets. This broader scope strengthened fleet rightsizing by identifying underutilized vehicles with disproportionately high capital and maintenance costs, enabling reassignment or divestment where appropriate and ensuring alignment with operational demand. Opportunities were identified to convert 66 high-utilization long-term rental vehicles to City-owned assets, aligning permanent service demand with the city owned fleet inventory to strengthen utilization oversight and support sustainable fleet right-sizing. As the City’s population and service demands continue to grow, Fleet Services Division is carefully balancing necessary fleet growth, currently averaging about 4 percent annually, while preventing over-expansion and limiting underutilization. This disciplined, evidence-based approach ensures the City's fleet remains right-sized, cost-effective, and responsive to service requirements.

Furthermore, as of November 1, 2025, Fleet Services Division assumed operational responsibility for the Toronto Island Ferries. The City operates four (4) ferries to the Toronto Islands, one (1) of which operates year-round. Fleet Services Division has worked to integrate the Ferry Service into its internal processes, including existing repair and maintenance contracts as well as parts supply contracts. From 2024 to 2025, crowding on the Centre Island route dropped significantly, with trips over 90 percent capacity falling from 12.7 percent to 4.5 percent, respectively. This is a result of an increase in the total number of extra trips completed by a relief vessel during busy periods, up 12.5 percent from 2024 to 2025. This was achieved by extending operating hours and ensuring additional staff were available to operate the ferries.

Work is underway to enhance the quality and accuracy of ferry availability data, which will be included in subsequent annual reports.