Waymo is bringing its robotaxis to Toronto’s streets, with winter as the big test. Traffic deaths are climbing in Toronto and Ottawa. And a quiet change to “light truck” rules could reshape car manufacturing. Welcome to the Good Roads Podcast, where we break down the biggest municipal infrastructure, transportation, and road safety stories shaping Ontario communities.
This week, Thomas and Andrew unpack three stories that explore autonomous vehicles, road safety trends, and vehicle emissions standards.
🤖 Waymo Testing Needed
Waymo is beginning testing on Toronto’s streets this month, mapping the city and testing vehicles with human drivers before moving to fully autonomous operation, with a robotaxi service planned for 2028. We discuss how Toronto’s winters could challenge the technology, the questions around congestion and transit, and why the province will need to update its regulations before AVs can pick up passengers.
🚶 The Carnage Continues
By mid-October, 42 people had been killed in traffic collisions in Toronto, including 20 pedestrians and 11 motorcyclists, a 24% increase from 2025. Ottawa has already recorded 29 traffic deaths this year, compared with 23 in all of 2025. We look at what the numbers say about vulnerable road users and what municipalities can do.
🚙 The Unbearable Lightness of Trucks
For decades, a regulatory loophole has let SUVs qualify as “light trucks” under less stringent fuel-economy standards. Beginning in 2030, the US will classify light trucks by towing and payload capacity instead, but the change comes alongside a sweeping rollback of fuel-economy requirements. We explore what it could mean for Canada, which has similar classifications and is set to strengthen its own standards in 2030.
📚 Show References
Kelowna council candidate who joked he was unqualified wins a seat (CBC News)
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/brady-rogers-satire-kelowna-campaign-win-9.7387848
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