Fords Working to Fire Webster, Stintz, Scrap Streetcars: Star

[syn]

Wouldn't something like this have to get council approval? If so, I don't see it ever happening.

 

[Thanos]

I don't know what I'm more appalled about:

The obvious bias and poor reporting by the star (obviously to be inflammatory), or the naivety of the readers...


anyone that rides the street cars will trade in those moving stop signs for subways any day/night. Took me half an hour (including waiting time) to commute vs a 10 min bike ride, and maybe a 25 min walk...

Yes, because the Sun reports all sides of the story right. Ahahahahahaha, you make me laugh.

And replacing the streetcars by more buses that will cause more congestion and more pollution is the way we move forward in the 21st century. *sarcasm*

"Although I DID NOT VOTE ROB FORD... and he HAS NOT won me over, I was still contemplating voting PC in the provincal elections because I wasnt happy with Mcguinty on a number of things (Surprisingly I was OK with the GST, minus how its applicable to some things and not others, just apply it to everything). However NOW there is no way I am voting PC, I am deffinately voting LIBERAL. I hope others changed there mind as well. Whats really scary is that if FORD just acted somewhat sane the first year in office we would probably have a 99% chance of having a PC Mayor, a PC premier and a PC Prime Minister... "

I voted Harper in May because in all seriousness the other parties provided absolutely nothing. However, if i am able to vote in the Ontario election it will be Mcguinty.

 

[ssiguy2]

I'm still lost.
I thought the province paid for the streetcars and I thought they were already paid for. If that is the case there is no way in hell the province would pay for them and then allow the city to turn around and keep the money. Where would he sell them to.....no where in NA. These are streetcars not LRT as they only have one-side boarding and are built unique to Toronto downtown gauge. Also even if he decided to just mothball them and let them rot at the garage where would he get the tens of millions it would take to rip up the streetcar tracks and overhead power lines and where would he get the money to buy the hundreds of new buses to replace them?
Can someone please explain.........thanks.

 

[Jonny5]

I'm still lost.
I thought the province paid for the streetcars and I thought they were already paid for.

The province contributed nothing. The city asked the federal government for support, but Baird famously said "Fuck off".
The city is funding the purchase 100%. They are paying as the cars are delivered. As none have been delivered yet, they have not paid for them and can move the funds budgeted for them to something else. Aside from the contract cancellation penalties of course.

The province kicked in funds only for the Transit City LRT cars purchase.

 

[ssiguy2]

Thanks for the info. I had always thought Queen's Park had paid for most of the purchase.
That puts a new complexion on the matter. I guess this something that really should be a worry. Still, I could see McGuinty demanding those Thunder Bay jobs be secured and if Toronto backs out then they could threaten to do the same thing with Eglinton funding.

 

[doady]

I hope others changed there mind as well. Whats really scary is that if FORD just acted somewhat sane the first year in office we would probably have a 99% chance of having a PC Mayor, a PC premier and a PC Prime Minister... "

Neither Harper or Ford are PC anyways.

 

[Platform 27]

The province contributed nothing. The city asked the federal government for support, but Baird famously said "Fuck off".
The city is funding the purchase 100%. They are paying as the cars are delivered. As none have been delivered yet, they have not paid for them and can move the funds budgeted for them to something else. Aside from the contract cancellation penalties of course.

The province kicked in funds only for the Transit City LRT cars purchase.

Incorrect. For the replacement streetcars on the legacy network, the province was and is paying 1/3. Baird did famously say "fuck off", but that was to a planned 1/3 federal share, and that meant the city had to move up from 1/3 to 2/3 to cover the remainder.

The Transit City LRVs are fully provincial.

 

[Jonny5]

Incorrect. For the replacement streetcars on the legacy network, the province was and is paying 1/3. Baird did famously say "fuck off", but that was to a planned 1/3 federal share, and that meant the city had to move up from 1/3 to 2/3 to cover the remainder.

The Transit City LRVs are fully provincial.

Thank you for the clarification. So the province has some leverage over this issue then. Of course they could choose not use it and happily take back that money.

 

[Amy Rose]

I think Rob Ford has been playing too much Sim City lately

 

[tkip]

It's basically classic fear mongering by the Star and others to paint this drastic and bleak picture of Ford gutting the entire city including the TTC.

 

[Electrify]

I think Rob Ford has been playing too much Sim City lately

Unlikely. If they had, they would be far more qualified to run this city...

 

[allabootmatt]

The province contributed nothing. The city asked the federal government for support, but Baird famously said "Fuck off".
The city is funding the purchase 100%. They are paying as the cars are delivered. As none have been delivered yet, they have not paid for them and can move the funds budgeted for them to something else. Aside from the contract cancellation penalties of course.


The province kicked in funds only for the Transit City LRT cars purchase.

In addition to the provincial contribution as noted above, 'paying for cars as they delivered' is not the arrangement either. The City has been making regular payments to Bombardier since the contract was signed in 2009. I believe at the end of last year something in the neighbourhood of $200 million had already gone out the door, so at a similar run rate we are close to $300 million by now. That's not to mention the substantial and ongoing investments in track, overhead, and the new carhouse that the Ford-selected Commission has continued to sign off on. Similarly, all of these projects were in the 2011 Capital Budget and 10-year plan approved in February by Council.

 

[lafard]

In addition to the provincial contribution as noted above, 'paying for cars as they delivered' is not the arrangement either. The City has been making regular payments to Bombardier since the contract was signed in 2009. I believe at the end of last year something in the neighbourhood of $200 million had already gone out the door, so at a similar run rate we are close to $300 million by now. That's not to mention the substantial and ongoing investments in track, overhead, and the new carhouse that the Ford-selected Commission has continued to sign off on. Similarly, all of these projects were in the 2011 Capital Budget and 10-year plan approved in February by Council.

That's all dandy. But it also discounts the damage that could be caused by an increasingly desperate Ford as his nation crumbles around him.

The libraries are just a warning shot. Despots do some very strange things when they sense that their grip on power is slipping.

 

[cdr108]

correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression it was against the law to move your vehicle after a collision, unless an officer shows up and says it's ok.

not unless there is an injury, one is supposed to drive their car to a collision centre to report the 'accident'.

alot of the 'accidents' by drivers dt is based on distracted carelessness .... running through red lights, not checking blind-spots before changing lanes, talking/text on PDAs/phones.

 

[Amy Rose]

Unlikely. If they had, they would be far more qualified to run this city...

True to a certain extent. He probably played the Monster destroying the downtown area and its local economy than a somewhat decent city planner that designed a functioning city