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2018 Provincial Election Transit Promises

This is reasonably accurate.

The NDP are proposing deficits roughly 1/2 the size of the Liberals by raising corporate tax from 11.5% to 13% as well as by raising taxes on those earning greater than $200,000 per year.

This can be seen in their platform here:

https://www.ontariondp.ca/platform

Of course they still envision deficits as do the competing parties. No one is proposing a return to balance in the near term.

They of course assume that this will not drive away employees or high-growth industries. Plus a 55% tax rate is unpalatable for a lot of people living in Silicon Valley or NYC looking move. Here comes another recession if this happens.

If she is elected she (and all of Ontario) will have the same day of reckoning that occurred with Bob Rae. Immediate cuts to transit, etc just to keep the lights on at Queens Park
 
So I presume RER is safe given that they are saving everything else and are promising some GO expansion above that of RER (All day GO to Niagara and Bowmanville).

It would be nice to get confirmation of that though.

Also, provincial takeover of the subway seems very reasonable and actually quite good news for the TTC. That is a huge capital asset removed from their capital repair backlog.
 
So I presume RER is safe given that they are saving everything else and are promising some GO expansion above that of RER (All day GO to Niagara and Bowmanville).

It would be nice to get confirmation of that though.
It only mentioned "improvement to regional GO train services". That could mean anything from RER to merely increase of the number of trains, without electrification or new rolling stocks.
 
PC Party news release tweeted out here on the transit they'll fund.

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Sounds like the Conservatives will fund and build virtually everything that the Liberals would have with the addition of Sheppard Subway to McCowan.
 
It only mentioned "improvement to regional GO train services". That could mean anything from RER to merely increase of the number of trains, without electrification or new rolling stocks.

Hudak had that same "GO improvements" item in his 2014 platform. He stated multiple times in press briefings/interviews that it did not include what we would consider RER, but rather improvements to the existing diesel service.

Sounds like the Conservatives will fund and build virtually everything that the Liberals would have with the addition of Sheppard Subway to McCowan.

Yes, but anyone who can do math can figure out that the amount allocated and the price tag of the projects don't even come close to matching up. And you know that when faced with that financial reality, that DoFo will go with the stupidest, least cost-effective, and least needed project to move forward with. This means Sheppard first, Yonge extension second, RL third. And given how much those other two will cost, that really means RL when pigs fly.

Also, the burying Eglinton East and West thing is just plain dumb.
 
Hudak had that same "GO improvements" item in his 2014 platform. He stated multiple times in press briefings/interviews that it did not include what we would consider RER, but rather improvements to the existing diesel service.



Yes, but anyone who can do math can figure out that the amount allocated and the price tag of the projects don't even come close to matching up. And you know that when faced with that financial reality, that DoFo will go with the stupidest, least cost-effective, and least needed project to move forward with. This means Sheppard first, Yonge extension second, RL third. And given how much those other two will cost, that really means RL when pigs fly.

Also, the burying Eglinton East and West thing is just plain dumb.

In regards to Eglinton Crosstown though, there's a ceveat... "underground. Where feasible."

This could mean that Ford is open to exploring elevated or trenched right-of-ways parallel to the Eglinton roadway in addition to tunnels.

This would be the best case scenario for Eglinton Crosstown, IMO. Places like Vic Park/Eglinton/O'Connor should be grade separated from traffic (three reported pedestrian fatalities happened there in recent years!).

In the West End, the City is already studying grade-separating all the stops and reducing the number of stops from 17 to 10. A peered down Crosstown in the East also (bye Ferrand and Lebovic!) would make travel times so much faster for long distance commuters.
 
Well, yes and no. Notice the words $9 billion available. That makes it sound like the money for the line will be diverted elsewhere.

That means $14 billion is available ($9 Bn already earmarked + new $5 Bn from the Tories).

Crosstown upgrades = ~$2 billion
Sheppard Subway Don Mills to McCowan = ~$4-5 billion (they may opt for cheaper construction methods than the status quo)

That leaves $7 billion and DRL phase 1 is estimated to cost $6.8 billion. Seems like everybody wins.
 
That means $14 billion is available ($9 Bn already earmarked + new $5 Bn from the Tories).

Crosstown upgrades = ~$2 billion
Sheppard Subway Don Mills to McCowan = ~$4-5 billion (they may opt for cheaper construction methods than the status quo)

That leaves $7 billion and DRL phase 1 is estimated to cost $6.8 billion. Seems like everybody wins.
Whereby Tories promised to come up with $5 billion extra cash while cutting $6 billion deficit. So that is $11 billion swing. Where does the money come from? Hmmm...GO RER is looking suspicious...
 

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