As if we needed more evidence of print media's dwindling relevance, the city of Toronto has released a 10 year status update on its Coordinated Street Furniture Program, and things are looking pretty bad for print.

The number of publication boxes on city streets has dipped from 15,418 in 2006 to just 3,624 as of 2018, according to the Transportation Services report.

That's a decline of nearly 77 per cent over 12 years, which translates into roughly $974,000 less in annual revenue for the city.

"It is anticipated that the number of boxes licensed will hold steady or decline slightly in 2019," reads the report, which is set to go before Toronto's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee next Tuesday.

Sign of the times: In 2006, Toronto had 15,418 licensed newspaper boxes on city streets.



In 2018, there are just 3,624 left.



Decline has cost the city $1 million in annual revenue. pic.twitter.com/oby0EIlScc — Matt Elliott (@GraphicMatt) May 1, 2018

Instead of having a single publication occupy one box to themselves, the city has been widely implementing newspaper corrals and kiosks where print publications are stored together.

Toronto city council decided at a previous meeting that all publications in single boxes—as in regular newspaper boxes—would be migrated into kiosks or box corrals by December 2020.

Traditional newspaper boxes are soon going to become a thing of the past in Toronto, but that doesn't mean print is ready to give up the ghost just yet. Faithful readers will still be able to buy their hard copies at corrals and kiosks.