Rob Ford's Toronto

[nfitz]

a) That would not be a 'realitvely small project'.

It isn't, which is why I prefixed the comment with a note that there likely wasn't enough money in the budget for that, and it would likely be small projects. I'll go change the punctuation and change small to smaller for those who didn't follow.

Where, exactly, is this tunnel going to surface and how would it connect to Bathurst? You'd be blowing away many rather expensive houses (whose owners and neighbours probably wouldn't be keen on the idea), to say nothing of completely trashing a very attractive ravine.

I'd put a portal south of the ravine somewhere, parallel and in the middle of Bathurst. It should only have minor impacts to some properties along Bathurst.

 

[Chuck]

I don't think that Rob Ford as mayor would be as bad as is made out to be - and I say that as a non supporter of him. City Hall needs to be rebooted, and he's probably the best person to do that. Streetcars aren't going anywhere, cultural events such as Pride will continue, and there will not be service cuts for the TTC. Similarly, he hasn't even mentioned highway or arterial road expansion. Ford will likely focus most of his energy on combating unions - which frankly is a good thing, and on improving customer service and transparency at city hall - which is also a good thing. If a fixed link to the island airport is constructed, that would be the icing on the cake.

The single biggest mistake made by a modern day mayor of Toronto was the decision to NOT spend billions of dollars committed by upper levels of government toward on subways. A chance like that comes once a generation, meaning that it will likely take another generation of riding suburban streetcars to recover from the damage done.

I'm still not voting for Ford, but I'm just saying Ford as mayor wouldn't be the end of the world - and the long term effects will be nowhere near as bad as what the current administration caused in terms of lost opportunity.

 

[nfitz]

If Rob Ford has the appetite for an endless strike that will paralyze Toronto for a month or more, maybe he could get the unions to get their wages down.

A month? Probably closer to 3 before they blink if he wants any concessions worth thinking about it

Likely, if a TTC strike went on for more than a week, the province would step in and make the TTC an essential service which would backfire on Ford's goal to reduce spending on wages.

Would they though if the city fought the province on it. Given that the province doesn't currently contribute any money to TTC operations (as opposed to construction), it's difficult for them to dictate payment.

More likely they'd simply take over TTC themselves, and take the money to run it out of payments for the city.

 

[nfitz]

We already have a couple of tunnels there, called the Spadina heavy rail Subway. Don't need any other tunnel.

The problem is that the expressway ends there - it was never designed to, and creates a traffic nightmare. Either fix it (without building an expressway to Bloor!) or remove the 401/Allen interchange and direct traffic onto Dufferin and Bathurst instead, where they belong.

 

[Asterix]

I'd put a portal south of the ravine somewhere, parallel and in the middle of Bathurst. It should only have minor impacts to some properties along Bathurst.

Before you do that, I'd suggest visiting the site, looking over the edge of the bridge to see how far down the ravine floor is, noting how much further down you'd have to go to get underneath the subway, how narrow the ravine is and try and visualize how you are going to get two lanes from way underground to where you think you want to merge it into Bathurst, then account for the two lanes you want to bring up from the Allen and where exactly they'd go given the current limitations of apartment buildings just a few meters back from both sides of the street.

'Minor impacts' is not the description that would be used.

 

[Asterix]

Would they though if the city fought the province on it. Given that the province doesn't currently contribute any money to TTC operations (as opposed to construction), it's difficult for them to dictate payment.

Not so difficult. The province passes legislation sending the union back to work and sending the contract dispute to arbitration. The city is a provincial construct so couldn't exactly overrule provincial legislation.

 

[nfitz]

Would that even be legal in Canada?

Many, if not most towns contract out their policing ... to provincial and federal forces.

I believe he said he'd be hiring 50 more police. Way to stick it to the unions, Rob.

I can't remember the number, but it's something like that. Though he also said it won't be until late 2014 or early 2015, as the money to pay them comes from the councillors he's eliminating .... and they will still have their jobs until November 2014.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

You guys are talking about council, yet many people are looking to kick many, as much as 10 incumbents. Read the Sun comments if you don't believe me.

 

[MisterF]

the Allen T-boning into Eglinton (a short 2-lane tunnel just to Bathurst may alleviate that ...

This is why Black Creek Drive works better than the Allen...rather than T-boning into a city street, it goes from a freeway to a street gradually. From my experience it doesn't bottleneck the same way.

If Rob Ford has the appetite for an endless strike that will paralyze Toronto for a month or more, maybe he could get the unions to get their wages down.

The city has no control over the wages of private contractors who do the actual construction work. Calling for the city to "get rid of union rates for infrastructure" as ssiguy puts it is just empty rhetoric. City governments can't tell private companies how much to pay their employees.

And that helps drivers how?

By giving them a reliable alternative to driving. Several more rapid transit lines in Toronto would benefit drivers even more.

 

[adma]

Given the ominously negative gravity attached to a Ford mayoralty, I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see him assassinated.

 

[nfitz]

We found out today that Rossi seems to be well connected. Perhaps he could put out a hit.

 

[MetroMan]

Given the ominously negative gravity attached to a Ford mayoralty, I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see him assassinated.

... By a serving of poutine.

 

[GraphicMatt]

If they elect a shadow-mayor then it will be unconstitutional and a gross violation of our democratic rights.

If the majority voted Ford, then Ford it is, and respect it. You lefties have no problem calling for shadow governments, but would literally foam at the mouth if the same was done to one of your 'precious' mayors. At least the right, in Canada, respects people's democratic rights to vote in a government.

Ford will not get a majority of votes cast. He won't even come close.

 

[MetroMan]

^ and Councillors are also elected officials. They're not going to vote against their political ideology according to which their constituents elected them.

If I vote for a left leaning councillor, I don't want him to vote in favour of conservative policy. Councillors aren't a Mayor's rubber stamp.

If Rob Ford becomes Mayor and a plurality of councillors continue to come from the left, I anticipate that a figurehead will emerge to lead them. Adam Vaughan comes to mind.

 

[Frankie1984]

... By a serving of poutine.

Or to get run over by a cyclist... oh, the irony.