John Tory urges Harper to invest in public transit (Star)

[Mike in TO]

Public transit in GTA needs federal boost, Tory says

Feb 21, 2007 04:30 AM
Jim Wilkes
Staff Reporter

John Tory says it's time Ottawa drops some serious cash on public transit in the GTA.

Standing near the City Centre Transit Station at Mississauga's Square One Shopping Centre, the provincial Conservative leader said the federal government must start paying its share of transit projects in and around the Toronto area.

"This is a sincere request on my part that the federal government should join the province and the municipalities to make sure that these vital transit projects – vital to the environment, vital to families, vital to the economy – should get funded and get going in the GTA," Tory said.

"People will not be able to ride on transit and get out of their cars and help the environment and help the economy if there isn't a transit option available," he said.

"We need the federal government to come to the table, so we can get on with these transit projects."

Among the pending transit projects are the subway extension to York University, Mississauga's rapid transit plan – including a bus rapid transit plan along Highway 403 and Eglinton Ave. – and Brampton's Acceleride program, which have local and provincial funding but are awaiting delivery of federal dollars.

"I ride public transit in Toronto regularly and I find that's it's a better way to get around, quite frankly," Tory added.

"I think what we need to do is make sure that option is available to more people in more municipalities."

Tory said the McGuinty Liberals have done "precious little" for public transit other than "a couple of HOV lanes and a little bit of odds and ends here and there ..."

A Liberal staffer wandered among the sparse media turnout distributing a press release trumpeting its party's investment in public transit, including $160 million towards the Mississauga and Brampton transit plans.

 

[Mike in TO]

Re: John Tory urges Harper to invest in public transit (Star

The Toronto Sun's take on the same issue....

Public transit is cool againFeb 25
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN

When Ontario Conservative leader John Tory urges Prime Minister Stephen Harper to spring for more money for public transit in the Greater Toronto Area, as he did last week, something's up.

Tory wouldn't embarrass Harper, a fellow Conservative, who introduces him as the next premier of Ontario.

So it must mean Ottawa and Queen's Park are working on a "green scheme" for the GTA that involves new funding for public transit.

It will be sold to the public, since we'll be paying for it, as part of the fight against global warming, as everything is these days. In fact, these used to be known as "infrastructure" projects.

Tory doesn't want to look like the odd man out when and if Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and their respective finance ministers, Jim Flaherty and Greg Sorbara, pose for the photo after announcing the deal.

Tory wants to be able to say he helped lobby for the cash.

Harper and Flaherty hope to boost federal Conservative fortunes in Ontario through such big announcements in a national election that could come as early as spring.

McGuinty and Sorbara want to win more votes in the Ontario election legally mandated for the fall.

Sun Media columnist Angelo Persichilli has been following negotiations between Flaherty and Sorbara to fund a deal that could include the York subway and Hwy. 407 extension (or other projects), adding up to billions of dollars.

Ontario set aside $670 million in its last budget to pay one-third the cost of the planned 6.2-km York subway expansion, running from Downsview station, through York University into the 905.

Toronto and York region would pick up another third of the cost, with the last $670 million coming from Ottawa, to finance this $2-billion mega-project.

Expect some similar deals for municipalities in the GTA, since Harper has to win more seats in Ontario as well as Quebec, also slated for "green" goodies, if he hopes to win a majority government.

Funding for public transit is "in" again because of the panic over global warming. Expect to be hit with lots of political rhetoric about this.

To see the future of public transit in Toronto, check out the newly-opened St. Clair streetcar right-of-way. That's where we're heading.

Of course, the other big issue that needs to be tackled is gridlock. Not only does it cost the private sector billions in lost business, but it contributes to smog and greenhouse gases, since idling and stop-and-go vehicles are far less efficient than ones moving smoothly at a constant speed.

Plus, one bus, streetcar or train filled with dozens of passengers, means fewer drivers on the road. That said, some of this money (which is our money) must be used to fix roads and highways as well.

 

[Darkstar416]

Re: John Tory urges Harper to invest in public transit (Star

Of course, the other big issue that needs to be tackled is gridlock. Not only does it cost the private sector billions in lost business, but it contributes to smog and greenhouse gases, since idling and stop-and-go vehicles are far less efficient than ones moving smoothly at a constant speed.

Tackling "gridlock" is not really a separate issue from expanding public transit.

 

[spmarshall]

Re: John Tory urges Harper to invest in public transit (Star

No, just that "tackling gridlock" uses CAA-friendly language. Plus building new roads sits better for whatever reason with conservatives than subway lines. Perhaps because the F-series pickups with FARM licence plates and/or "Listowel-Car City" or "Sundridge-Motor Town" plate liners do use roads.

 

[unimaginative2]

Re: John Tory urges Harper to invest in public transit (Star

None of this really matters for us downtown-dwellers, since there are no significant transit projects that anybody is proposing. I don't think the federal government is going to fund a streetcar ROW.

 

[socialwoe]

Re: John Tory urges Harper to invest in public transit (Star

When Ontario Conservative leader John Tory urges Prime Minister Stephen Harper to spring for more money for public transit in the Greater Toronto Area, as he did last week, something's up.

Political jockeying for limited funds, that's what's up. In the meantime I can't across the downtown core in under 10 mins, who'd thought :rolleyes .

To see the future of public transit in Toronto, check out the newly-opened St. Clair streetcar right-of-way. That's where we're heading.

Aw yes, the Apocolypse is near :evil !

None of this really matters for us downtown-dwellers, since there are no significant transit projects that anybody is proposing. I don't think the federal government is going to fund a streetcar ROW.

Yes it's truly pathetic places is zero density are prioritized ahead of the areas responsible for the large populations in the first place. And they should be funding subways, not redundant streetcars which almost every other city in NA has abandoned.