Robo Vehicle pilot for Toronto’s west end

City Hall Watcher Matt Elliott reports that staff have written a report letting the committee know that the Ontario Ministry of Transportation has given the green light to a self-driving car project that’ll soon take the streets on the west side of downtown.

“Magna International has won approval to test out a fleet of up to 20 small three-wheeled delivery vehicles that will distribute small packages in area comprising parts of Ward 4 (Parkdale – High Park), Ward 5 (York South – Weston), Ward 9 (Davenport), Ward 11 (University) and Ward 12 (St. Paul’s). The cars will be speed-limited to 32 km/h and won’t be permitted on roads with speed limits of greater than 40 km/h. They also won’t ever make left turns,” Elliott writes.

“During the test phase, they’ll be followed by a ‘chase vehicle’ with non-cyborg human operators, who will have remote controls capable of shutting down the vehicles.”

Elliott notes that the report is “really more of an FYI to councillors,” as the City “has no regulatory authority over this pilot.”

Staff say they’ll put together a report on Q4 2026 with some findings on how the robots fared on Toronto’s streets.

Full text of item:

IE21.7 – Automated Vehicle Pilot Deployment in Toronto Under the Highway Traffic Act

Consideration Type: ACTIONWards: 4 – Parkdale – High Park, 5 – York South – Weston, 9 – Davenport, 11 – University – Rosedale, 12 – Toronto – St. Paul’s

Origin

(April 24, 2025) Report from the General Manager, Transportation Services

Recommendations

The General Manager, Transportation Services recommends that:  

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Transportation Services to report back to Infrastructure and Environment Committee no later than the Fourth Quarter of 2026 on the findings from Magna’s pilot, and lessons learned for the City regarding operation of automated vehicles in Toronto and specifically their use for delivery of goods. 

Summary

The Ministry of Transportation Ontario has notified Magna International Inc. that their application into Ontario’s Automated Vehicle Pilot Program has been approved, allowing Magna to conduct testing of automated last-mile delivery vehicles on Toronto’s streets. This pilot is governed by Ontario Regulation 306/15 under the Highway Traffic Act. The City of Toronto has no regulatory authority over this pilot, however Ministry of Transportation Ontario invited City staff to review Magna’s application materials and discuss details with their team. At Ministry of Transportation Ontario’s request, City staff submitted comments to help inform Ministry of Transportation Ontario’s decision-making regarding Magna’s pilot license application. Staff comments did not offer an opinion on the capability of this vehicle’s automated navigation but focused on operational-side measures to enhance safety and ensure the City’s opportunity to learn from the pilot.

Magna’s pilot will deploy driverless, three-wheeled automated vehicles to deliver small packages in an area including all of Ward 9 and portions of each of Wards 4, 5, 11 and 12. Each vehicle will have constant human oversight from a ‘chase vehicle’ with a supervisor capable of immediate intervention, as well as a remote human operator who can assume control during complex scenarios. Important safety measures include maximum speed of 32 kilometres per hour, travelling only on roads with a posted limit of 40 kilometres per hour or less, no use of left turns, and adherence to internationally recognized cybersecurity and privacy standards. Magna’s pilot will begin in the second quarter of 2025 with a small number of vehicles operating on the city’s streets; further Ministry of Transportation Ontario approval will be required prior to allowing more vehicles. Magna envisions up to 20 vehicles during this pilot.

Automated vehicle deployments for ridesharing, taxi services, deliveries, and long-haul trucking have steadily increased, predominantly in United States’ states such as California, Arizona, Florida and other locations that experience less snow and rain than Ontario. This Magna pilot represents an opportunity for the Province, the operator and the City to gain insights into automated vehicle technology and operations within Toronto’s unique urban environment.