Street Furniture Program Results

The Coordinated Street Furniture Program is a public-private partnership with Astral Media worth $900 million over a 20-year term that started in 2007. The number of furniture pieces installed, service requests received, revenue generated for the City of Toronto, and environment impacts of the Program are reported below. The current number of licensed publication boxes is also included.

A total of $161.2M (out of $202.4M in 2007 dollars) in street furniture has been installed as of August 31, 2018. Eleven out of 20 public toilets were exchanged for a $5 million payment in 2014.  Legacy transit shelters were installed prior to 2007. Locations of street furniture can be downloaded from the Open Data Catalogue for Transportation.

 

Element Installations to 2018 Planned to 2027 Total Installed to 2018
Transit Shelters

(with advertising)

 2,510 4,992 86%
Transit Shelters

(without advertising)

 1,779
Litter Receptacles 9,840 10,887 90%
Benches

(one- and two-seat)

 2,175 2,602 84%
Information Pillars (with advertising) 85 145 100%
Information Pillars (without advertising) 60
Postering Columns 781 879 89%
Postering Boards 1,549 2,145 72%
Public Toilets 3 9 33%
Multipublication Kiosks 103 239 43%
Publication Box Corrals 1,706 2,497 68%
Bicycle Parking Units 76 76 100%
TOTAL 20,667 24,471 84%
Legacy Transit Shelters (with advertising) 702 N/A N/A
Legacy Transit Shelters (without advertising) 368 N/A N/A

The following numbers of service requests for cleaning and repair of street furniture were received by Astral Media from September 1, 2017 to August 31, 2018.

 

Element Issue

September 1, 2017 to

August 31, 2018
Total # of Existing Elements Total # of Service Requests Service Requests per Element
Transit Shelter Cleaning/Maintenance 5,359 901 0.6
Damage/Repair 2,450
Total 3,351
Litter Receptacle Cleaning/Maintenance 9,840 426 0.8
Damage/Repair 7,643
Total 8,069
Benches Cleaning/Maintenance 2,175 89 0.1
Damage/Repair 138
Total 227
Information Pillar Cleaning/Maintenance 145 23 0.5
Damage/Repair 54
Total 77
Postering Structure Cleaning/Maintenance 781 11 0.0
Damage/Repair 11
Total 22
Publication Structure Cleaning/Maintenance 1,706 25 0.0
Damage/Repair 41
Total 66
Public Toilet Cleaning/Maintenance 3 3 1.7
Damage/Repair 2
Total 5
Total 21,661 11,817 0.5

 

Astral Media and the City of Toronto share the revenue generated from advertising on transit shelters and information pillars. Separate revenue streams have been established for paper posters, digital screens, and creative “out-of-the-box” advertising. The amounts below illustrate the total revenue received as of August 31, 2018.

 

Agreement Year Minimum Annual Revenue Percentage of Gross Advertising Revenues Amount Received to Date
Guaranteed Annual Revenue Digital Guaranteed Revenue Creative and Top-up Revenue Initial Lump Sum or

Cash Out
1 $2,000,000 10% $2,000,000 N/A $0 $28,000,000
2 $2,500,000 10% $2,500,000 N/A $0
3 $4,000,000 20% $4,000,000 N/A $403,256
4 $7,816,575 25% $7,816,575 N/A $0
5 $11,638,531 32% $11,638,531 N/A $0
6 $13,478,256 32% $13,478,256 N/A $0
7 $15,001,287 32% $15,001,287 N/A $0 $5,000,000**
8 $17,474,814* 32% $16,968,168 $506,646 $419,332
9 $18,466,772* 32% $17,815,757 $651,015 $932,589
10 $19,380,346* 32% $18,706,545 $673,801 $1,384,113
11 $20,507,706* 32%
12 $24,780,955* 32%
13 $26,003,946* 32%
14 $27,472,182* 32%
15 $29,016,942* 32%
16 $32,134,601* 32%
17 $33,833,432* 32%
18 $35,499,890* 32%
19 $37,248,790* 32%
20 $39,084,220* 32%
Subtotal

$417,461,599*

(Guaranteed Minimum)

$111,756,581

(26.8% of Guaranteed Minimum)

$36,139,290

(Additional Revenue)
Total $147,895,871

* Includes the guaranteed minimum annual revenue from digital advertising.

** Cash out of 11 automated public toilets

Every publication box on a city street must be licensed and pay an annual fee to the City of Toronto. City Council has set a goal to have all publication boxes placed at corrals by the end of 2020. A total of 70% of boxes were placed at corrals by December 31, 2018.

Year Number of Licensed Boxes Year-Over-Year Percent Change Revenue

(including HST)
2006 15,418 N/A $1,406,125.00
2012 9,818 -36% (from 2006) $1,056,810.91
2013 9,072 -8% $787,881.82
2014 7,795 -14% $869,062.22
2015 7,345 -6% $872,158.30
2016 6,328 -14% $757,255.59
2017 5,625 -11% $700,450.92
2018 3,624 -36% $431,992.71
2019 2,683 -26% $316,246.65

The Street Furniture Program has involved an extensive process that began well before the agreement with Astral Media was signed in 2007. The following list highlights major program milestones and council approvals.

 

  • Pre-September 8, 2006: City engaged in consultation activities to develop an RFP for a Coordinated Street Furniture Program.
  • September 8, 2006: City issued a request for proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals for the Coordinated Street Furniture Program.
  • January 10, 2007: Proposals submitted to City by potential vendors.
  • May 23, 24 and 25, 2007 Council Meeting: City Council adopted the staff report and the Executive Committee recommendations that authorized award of the contract to Astral Media. The City entered into a 20-year Agreement with Astral Media for the supply, manufacture, installation and maintenance of nearly 25,000 pieces, which took effect on September 1, 2007. In addition, the direct revenues to the City from this program are being applied to enhance and beautify public places, through such initiatives as increased maintenance of street trees, development of tourist wayfinding, landscaping boulevards and neighbourhood beautification projects.
  • December 11-13, 2013: New “Public Realm” Reserve Fund is established.
  • June 9, 2008: New furniture was unveiled.
  • April 10-12, 2013: Review of Coordinated Street Furniture Contract
  • November 13-18, 2013: Strategy for Continuing Toronto’s Bike Share Program
  • May 6-8, 2014 :Agreement Modifications – Creative Advertising
  • June 10-13, 2014: Agreement Modifications Update

Annual Reports