Metrolinx: Other Items (catch all)

[superior_chromatic]

But I am also OOTL on development projects... In what way was this alignment more favourable to developers?

The Ontario auditor general is supposed to be looking into how Metrolinx decides on station placement for the Ontario Line and the Yonge north extension.

Source: Article from last September.

This is not a direct answer to your question, but I'd like to flag something that might be coming out soon. The article mentions that "Auditor general reports are generally released at the end of each year". If this is the case, its findings might be directly relevant to your question.

 

[drum118]

Join Us and Take Action
Please join Councillor Matlow, ATU113 and TTCRiders on Saturday, January 24th for our postering campaign demanding a full public inquiry into the Eglinton LRT fiasco.

We will be postering along all 19km of the line, from Mt. Dennis to Kennedy, to show the Ford Government and Metrolinx that Torontonians are serious about our demands for transparency and accountability into the years of delays and cost overruns.

Please join us by signing up at the link below.

Details:
Location: Meeting at the northeast corner of Yonge-Eglinton
Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Sign Up Link

 

[nottoban]

Join Us and Take Action
Please join Councillor Matlow, ATU113 and TTCRiders on Saturday, January 24th for our postering campaign demanding a full public inquiry into the Eglinton LRT fiasco.

We will be postering along all 19km of the line, from Mt. Dennis to Kennedy, to show the Ford Government and Metrolinx that Torontonians are serious about our demands for transparency and accountability into the years of delays and cost overruns.

Please join us by signing up at the link below.

Details:
Location: Meeting at the northeast corner of Yonge-Eglinton
Time: 3:00pm-5:00pm
Sign Up Link

I’d be curious whether any of the people organizing/participating have given any thought to the wisdom of this idea.

If the Crosstown's issues are driven by the private consortium pushing contract terms to the limit and exploiting every possible gap to keep their costs down (which it is and they are), and if this is exacerbated by Metrolinx not having adequate leverage to enforce the contract adequately (which it is and they don't),
then a public inquiry risks exposing exactly where Metrolinx is weak while they are paying billions to other private consortia for projects both in market and in delivery.

I know this might seem counterintuitive when we're seeking accountability, but a review and report by the Auditor General makes more sense at this stage. Compelling testimony at an inquiry prior to opening would be incredibly counterproductive as we still don’t know the full scope or final cost of the issues. ProjectCo would immediately shift into liability-control mode resulting in less candour from witnesses and an ass covering mentality when it comes to the disclosure of documents and evidence. These are not the conditions under which a thorough understanding of the issues are going to be brought to light.

If an inquiry proceeds and then all of a sudden the cost of all the subway projects starts to ratchet up by a couple billion each, I hope those calling for an inquiry will be paying close enough attention to understand the connection.

 

[crs1026]

There is a real possibility that as politicians grasp the actual risk level of transit projects, they will shy away from launching new ones because there is too much risk of failure that will attach to their shoes.

P3 was seen as a silver bullet that let politicians amass credit for building while firewalling them from accountability. I think the public has seen through that, thanks to Crosstown and others.

I think a public inquiry into Crosstown is justified. I'm not interested so much in knowing what technical issues arose or how overspends happenned - a $1B overspend on a project of this size is not that remarkable. Stuff happens and things are discovered too late some times. It's the silence that needs to be challenged and held to account. For a guy who claims (er, pretends) to be all about the little guy, Ford shows little sign of accountability with the large amounts of taxpayer money involved.

The Ottawa inquiry was useful not so much for its explanation of why the trams didn't work, as how the politicians meddled and made things worse. The Crosstown inquiry should reveal the same. It would also shed light in how the entire food chain - ML brass, ML Board, MOT and Premier/Cabinet - behaved. That's what needs correcting.

- Paul

 

[Bordercollie]

There is a real possibility that as politicians grasp the actual risk level of transit projects, they will shy away from launching new ones because there is too much risk of failure that will attach to their shoes.

P3 was seen as a silver bullet that let politicians amass credit for building while firewalling them from accountability. I think the public has seen through that, thanks to Crosstown and others.

I think a public inquiry into Crosstown is justified. I'm not interested so much in knowing what technical issues arose or how overspends happenned - a $1B overspend on a project of this size is not that remarkable. Stuff happens and things are discovered too late some times. It's the silence that needs to be challenged and held to account. For a guy who claims (er, pretends) to be all about the little guy, Ford shows little sign of accountability with the large amounts of taxpayer money involved.

The Ottawa inquiry was useful not so much for its explanation of why the trams didn't work, as how the politicians meddled and made things worse. The Crosstown inquiry should reveal the same. It would also shed light in how the entire food chain - ML brass, ML Board, MOT and Premier/Cabinet - behaved. That's what needs correcting.

- Paul

Like claiming that the rail gauge is out of spec when it is within the acceptable margin.

 

[Voltz]

P3’s were brought in so the Toronto Sun couldn’t make headlines about an accidental expense claim for orange juice.

 

[turbanplanner]

P3’s were brought in so the Toronto Sun couldn’t make headlines about an accidental expense claim for orange juice.

I wish we were still in that political climate though!

 

[Fritter]

If the Crosstown's issues are driven by the private consortium pushing contract terms to the limit and exploiting every possible gap to keep their costs down (which it is and they are), and if this is exacerbated by Metrolinx not having adequate leverage to enforce the contract adequately (which it is and they don't),
then a public inquiry risks exposing exactly where Metrolinx is weak while they are paying billions to other private consortia for projects both in market and in delivery

I also have a belief that the contactors add in enough cushion that even if they end up paying all the delay or other penalties, they still are making a decent profit.

 

[urbanclient]

P3’s were brought in so the Toronto Sun couldn’t make headlines about an accidental expense claim for orange juice.

Assuming that is true, that would be a huge mistake in hindsight. P3s cost so, so much more than traditional procurement in Ontario. Maybe P3s can be done effectively in other provinces and countries, but certainly not in the current political and legal environment of Ontario.