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Mayor John Tory's Toronto

DSC said:
The Economist has a piece this week on Mr Tory at:

http://www.economist.com/news/ameri...blocks-torontos-mayor-tries-improve-transport

It is rather destroyed in Huff Post at:

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/murtaza-haider/john-tory-transit-plans_b_14146988.html
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He said it best.

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The article in question, see link, includes this:

Mr Tory is the latest in a long line of mayors who has promised to get the city moving again. His plan, dubbed SmartTrack, calls for building a new light-rail line (modelled on London’s Crossrail) and adding six stations to existing commuter rail lines. He wants to help pay for that (and other transport projects) by charging tolls on two highways that funnel traffic downtown. That would raise C$200m ($152m) a year. The federal and provincial governments would put up most of the money.
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The problem is each new mayor, since Miller, had changed (or cancelled) the plans of the previous mayor for their own "brilliant" plan, drawn on their paper (or cloth) napkin. If we had stuck with Miller's Transit City (and Transit City Bus, see link), instead of budget cuts after budget cuts, we'll have some parts in operation already.
 
W. K. Lis said:
The article in question, see link, includes this:
The problem is each new mayor, since Miller, had changed (or cancelled) the plans of the previous mayor for their own "brilliant" plan, drawn on their paper (or cloth) napkin. If we had stuck with Miller's Transit City (and Transit City Bus, see link), instead of budget cuts after budget cuts, we'll have some parts in operation already.
Click to expand...
The problem is each new mayor, since HALL (ROWLANDS?), had changed (or cancelled) the plans of the previous mayor for their own "brilliant" plan, drawn on their paper (or cloth) napkin.

If we had stuck with TTC's SRT extension & Eglinton Subway, instead of flipping and flopping, we'll have some parts in operation already.
 
BurlOak said:
The problem is each new mayor, since HALL (ROWLANDS?), had changed (or cancelled) the plans of the previous mayor for their own "brilliant" plan, drawn on their paper (or cloth) napkin.
If we had stuck with TTC's SRT extension & Eglinton Subway, instead of flipping and flopping, we'll have some parts in operation already.
Click to expand...

Except your Eglinton subway was at one point meant to be a BRT; and SRT was meant to be an LRT using streetcars - so you're basically cherry picking examples. And odd to blame Hall or Rowlands (neither of which presided over the megacity) when it was more often than anything a Metro level of decision. I mean, do you really want to tell me that Eggleton didn't change any plans? Or Godfrey? Or Lastman?

AoD
 
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AlvinofDiaspar said:
Except your Eglinton subway was at one point meant to be a BRT - so you're basically cherry picking examples. And odd to blame Hall or Rowlands (neither of which presided over the megacity) when it was more often than anything a Metro level of decision. I mean, do you really want to tell me that Eggleton didn't change any plans? Or Godfrey? Or Lastman?

AoD
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BurkOak is a broken record spieling on a near daily basis about how great Ford's transit plan was.
 
salsa said:
BurkOak is a broken record spieling on a near daily basis about how great Ford's transit plan was.
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I said since Hall (meaning Lastman and Miller are just as guilty as Ford).

I don't recall how involved the Mayor was when Eglinton BRT was changed to a subway, or was it 100% Bob Rae's idea. I would say that Sheppard subway is more in keeping with TTC planning than Eglinton subway though.
 
BurlOak said:
I said since Hall (meaning Lastman and Miller are just as guilty as Ford).

I don't recall how involved the Mayor was when Eglinton BRT was changed to a subway, or was it 100% Bob Rae's idea. I would say that Sheppard subway is more in keeping with TTC planning than Eglinton subway though.
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There are enough guilt to go around - some more than others - but above all else it's the unwillingness to pay for anything that is the problem, not the fact that we have multiple plans. One begat the other - you had the cart before the horse. For example, if you had completed the full Network 2011, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

AoD
 
BurlOak said:
The problem is each new mayor, since HALL (ROWLANDS?), had changed (or cancelled) the plans of the previous mayor for their own "brilliant" plan, drawn on their paper (or cloth) napkin.

If we had stuck with TTC's SRT extension & Eglinton Subway, instead of flipping and flopping, we'll have some parts in operation already.
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Talk to MIKE HARRIS about the cancelled Eglinton Subway, and the Scarborough LRT is still in the master plan.
 
Makes sense, he has done some questionable things (i.e. Gardiner East, budget cuts) which have cost him support from some quarters, some things that would gain him both support and opposition (keeping property taxes at inflation, road tolls), and nothing completely inexcusable in public (i.e. crack cocaine).

Overall a 'steady as she goes' mayoralty as of this point. Nothing that would really hurt the city, but nothing that really shows any greater vision of what Toronto could be.
 
As the public works committee discusses contracting out garbage collection in the east end, reporter Jennifer Pagliaro wrote an excellent twitter thread explaining how we got here. To summarize:
  • Tory ran against Ford in 2014 promising to outsource garbage east of Yonge Street.
  • After the election, Tory was briefed on efficiencies to public pick-up that would shrink possible savings from outsourcing.
  • In 2015, city staff report peer reviewed by Ernst & Yonge found no savings to be had from further outsourcing. Tory & allies strongly criticized the report, saying it left "unanswered questions".
  • Shortly after the report was released, the city's general manager for solid waste Beth Goodger, who signed off on the report, left the city. His departure was unexplained, he now has a similar role at City of Brantford. The city won't comment, has blocked FOI requests citing HR.
  • Tory executive member Jaye Robinson pushed for a new report under the new GM, only 1 year after the previous report. Tory holds a press conference saying that his mind is already made up, that he doesn't need to wait for the new report on whether the move will actually save money.
  • Surprise, the new staff report calls for outsourcing. But it doesn't say whether outsourcing will or will not save money. The data is secret.
  • However solid waste GM confirms on a cost per household basis, Scarborough public pickup is cheaper and has higher recycling rate than private in Etobicoke. The report doesn't explain this difference in the diversion rate, which is itself damning.
  • So now council has received two contradictory reports in just over a year on an issue mayor is deeply entrenched on. Today's debate has opposite sides quoting from two different reports as fact - one that says no savings, one that recommends outsourcing. Councillor Robinson challenges union leaders with Report #2 - "are you saying this report is wrong?" Yes, see: Report #1.
  • We've seen this before on the Gardiner debate and other issues. When Tory is confronted with staff report he doesn't like, he pushes for competing private report. Those who are still pushing for privatization are doing it for ideological reasons.
 
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