Item - 2026.IE29.7

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct all Division Heads to incorporate side guards as a contractual requirement for commercial vehicles which are dedicated to providing goods and services to, or on behalf of, the City of Toronto, for all new contracts awarded starting May 2027.

2. City Council authorize the applicable Division Head and the General Manager, Fleet Services, to jointly approve case-by-case exemptions, in the event of extenuating circumstances, to the side guard requirement noted in Recommendation 1.

This report responds to the City Council direction (2024.IE18.5) to assess the feasibility of requiring existing and new Suppliers who use commercial vehicles to provide contracted City services to have side guards installed on their vehicles. Commercial vehicles are heavy-duty fleet assets weighing 4,500 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or more and pose the greatest risk to pedestrians and cyclists (known collectively as Vulnerable Road Users due to their size and weight. Side guards are protective railings or bars mounted on the sides of large trucks between the axles to prevent Vulnerable Road Users from being pulled under a truck's wheels in the event of a collision.

The City of Toronto interacts with three types of fleets, all of which may include commercial vehicles:

- City-Owned Fleet: Vehicles owned and operated by the City of Toronto. As directed by Council, through 2024.IE18.5, the City is installing side guards on all City-owned commercial vehicles by the end of 2026 and has done so at a pace that is ahead of schedule.

- Contracted Dedicated Fleet: Vehicles owned and operated by a supplier but allocated on a full-time basis solely for City work. This includes commercial vehicles with City branding (e.g., City of Toronto decal). It is appropriate and feasible to require side guards on this fleet. 

- Contracted Non-Dedicated Fleet: Vehicles owned and operated by a supplier but servicing multiple clients; not exclusive to the City of Toronto. It is not feasible to require side guards on this fleet.

Staff assessed potential impacts to service delivery and determined that it is feasible and appropriate to require side guards on commercial vehicles in the contracted dedicated fleet as of May 2027, with exemptions provided for extenuating circumstances. This requirement is expected to impact approximately 1,200 commercial vehicles, with applications ranging from winter maintenance and snow clearing to road repair, high-impact public works, and urban forestry. An effective date of May 2027 provides sufficient time to update procurement templates and enables both City Divisions and Suppliers to plan and comply with this requirement.

Staff assessed that it is not feasible to require side guards on commercial vehicles in the contracted non-dedicated fleet, as there is a high risk of disruption to routine services that the City receives or procures. The City has limited ability to govern and enforce requirements for the City's contracted non-dedicated fleet; this includes services, including parcel and courier trucks, towing service trucks, construction haulage trucks, and aggregate trucks.

To develop this approach, the Fleet Services Division conducted a jurisdictional scan of comparable municipalities and engaged with 19 City Divisions through the distribution of a survey and through focused discussions. Through this engagement, the approach was refined to focus on commercial vehicles in the contracted dedicated fleet, as this could be implemented without significant impacts to service delivery and without significant cost implications.

Fleet Services Division also engaged with Suppliers through an external market survey distributed to both large and small Suppliers and diverse and social procurement vendors. Feedback was overall positive, and Suppliers indicated that the requirement is feasible (e.g., parts are available and manufacturers offer installation services).

Requiring side guards on commercial vehicles in the contracted dedicated fleet aligns with the City's commitment to the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and its commitment to protecting Vulnerable Road Users. Embedding this requirement as a standard contractual condition ensures consistency, clarity, and enforceability across all applicable service areas and ensures that all commercial vehicles operating under the City's authority or representing the City in the public realm meet a consistent, enforceable safety standard.

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct all Division Heads to incorporate side guards as a contractual requirement for commercial vehicles which are dedicated to providing goods and services to, or on behalf of, the City of Toronto, for all new contracts awarded starting May 2027.

2. City Council authorize the applicable Division Head and the General Manager, Fleet Services, to jointly approve case-by-case exemptions, in the event of extenuating circumstances, to the side guard requirement noted in Recommendation 1.

This report responds to the City Council direction (2024.IE18.5) to assess the feasibility of requiring existing and new Suppliers who use commercial vehicles to provide contracted City services to have side guards installed on their vehicles. Commercial vehicles are heavy-duty fleet assets weighing 4,500 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or more and pose the greatest risk to pedestrians and cyclists (known collectively as Vulnerable Road Users due to their size and weight. Side guards are protective railings or bars mounted on the sides of large trucks between the axles to prevent Vulnerable Road Users from being pulled under a truck's wheels in the event of a collision.

The City of Toronto interacts with three types of fleets, all of which may include commercial vehicles:

- City-Owned Fleet: Vehicles owned and operated by the City of Toronto. As directed by Council, through 2024.IE18.5, the City is installing side guards on all City-owned commercial vehicles by the end of 2026 and has done so at a pace that is ahead of schedule.

- Contracted Dedicated Fleet: Vehicles owned and operated by a supplier but allocated on a full-time basis solely for City work. This includes commercial vehicles with City branding (e.g., City of Toronto decal). It is appropriate and feasible to require side guards on this fleet. 

- Contracted Non-Dedicated Fleet: Vehicles owned and operated by a supplier but servicing multiple clients; not exclusive to the City of Toronto. It is not feasible to require side guards on this fleet.

Staff assessed potential impacts to service delivery and determined that it is feasible and appropriate to require side guards on commercial vehicles in the contracted dedicated fleet as of May 2027, with exemptions provided for extenuating circumstances. This requirement is expected to impact approximately 1,200 commercial vehicles, with applications ranging from winter maintenance and snow clearing to road repair, high-impact public works, and urban forestry. An effective date of May 2027 provides sufficient time to update procurement templates and enables both City Divisions and Suppliers to plan and comply with this requirement.

Staff assessed that it is not feasible to require side guards on commercial vehicles in the contracted non-dedicated fleet, as there is a high risk of disruption to routine services that the City receives or procures. The City has limited ability to govern and enforce requirements for the City's contracted non-dedicated fleet; this includes services, including parcel and courier trucks, towing service trucks, construction haulage trucks, and aggregate trucks.

To develop this approach, the Fleet Services Division conducted a jurisdictional scan of comparable municipalities and engaged with 19 City Divisions through the distribution of a survey and through focused discussions. Through this engagement, the approach was refined to focus on commercial vehicles in the contracted dedicated fleet, as this could be implemented without significant impacts to service delivery and without significant cost implications.

Fleet Services Division also engaged with Suppliers through an external market survey distributed to both large and small Suppliers and diverse and social procurement vendors. Feedback was overall positive, and Suppliers indicated that the requirement is feasible (e.g., parts are available and manufacturers offer installation services).

Requiring side guards on commercial vehicles in the contracted dedicated fleet aligns with the City's commitment to the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan and its commitment to protecting Vulnerable Road Users. Embedding this requirement as a standard contractual condition ensures consistency, clarity, and enforceability across all applicable service areas and ensures that all commercial vehicles operating under the City's authority or representing the City in the public realm meet a consistent, enforceable safety standard.