Miller will not be running for Mayor, How will this affect Public Transit?

[Ansem]

Sheppard East will, in all likelihood, be a substantially-underway construction site on election day. I can't see "pave-it-back-over-and-start-tunnelling-instead" being the slogan to bring hordes to the polls. I certainly can't see "pave-it-back-over-and-start-tunnelling-instead" being the slogan to bring smiles to faces in Queens Park or at Metrolinx.

-3 words...Eglinton West subway. Unless I see a Vehicule on Sheppard East, nothing is for sure.

-A year from now, I doubt they will have reach McCowan and we still don't know what vehicule will be use for Transit City. There was an article on the Toronto Star saying that there might be delays until they figure it out.

 

[DavidH]

-3 words...Eglinton West subway. Unless I see a Vehicule on Sheppard East, nothing is for sure.

Not the same scenario, though, because we have two years before the next provincial election. By then it should be far enough along to be safe. Next year's municipal election doesn't matter, because even if an anti-Sheppard LRT mayor were elected, he/she wouldn't have the power to do anything except complain about it.

 

[Ansem]

Not the same scenario, though, because we have two years before the next provincial election. By then it should be far enough along to be safe. Next year's municipal election doesn't matter, because even if an anti-Sheppard LRT mayor were elected, he/she wouldn't have the power to do anything except complain about it.

I don't think that's accurate. Sheppard East was Miller's idea and obsession. Metrolinx wanted a north crosstown and that was Miller respond with that ridiculous connection at Don Mills with Finch LRT.

If another mayor wants something else, I doubt Metrolinx wouldn't listen.

 

[kettal]

Ansem, you need to get a grip. This isn't the third coming of jesus.

The election is not until November 2010. Obviously who wins will have influence over any changes. The winner could be somebody who decides to replace every subway with an LRT, or the winner could be somebody who decides to shut down the TTC permanently. We don't know what side of the fence he will be on.

Nobody knows who will win. Right now we don't even know who will be running!! The only thing we know is it won't be Miller.

 

[Ansem]

Ansem, you need to get a grip. This isn't the third coming of jesus.

The election is not until November 2010. Obviously who wins will have influence over any changes. The winner could be somebody who decides to replace every subway with an LRT, or the winner could be somebody who decides to shut down the TTC permanently. We don't know what side of the fence he will be on.

Nobody knows who will win. Right now we don't even know who will be running!! The only thing we know is it won't be Miller.

Get a grip?
I thought that was discussion board
No one is forcing you to post.

 

[DavidH]

I don't think that's accurate. Sheppard East was Miller's idea and obsession. Metrolinx wanted a north crosstown and that was Miller respond with that ridiculous connection at Don Mills with Finch LRT.

If another mayor wants something else, I doubt Metrolinx wouldn't listen.

They may listen but doing a U turn and stopping construction on an existing project is extremely unlikely. Do you really think that a new Mayor would lead to Metrolinx tearing up their RTP? Sure, it'll get updated and replaced in time, but not before the first project to come out of it is done.

I'm not aware that the Sheppard-Finch thing came from Miller. Can you provide a source for this claim?

 

[kettal]

Get a grip?
I thought that was discussion board
No one is forcing you to post.

You're setting your hopes up over nothing. If you think today's announcement translates into a complete reversal of the past 7 years, you are living very far outside of reality.

 

[DavidH]

The election is not until November 2010. Obviously who wins will have influence over any changes. The winner could be somebody who decides to replace every subway with an LRT, or the winner could be somebody who decides to shut down the TTC permanently. We don't know what side of the fence he will be on.

If you're telling Ansem to get a grip, you may want to tone things down too. Shutting down the TTC or replacing our subways is not going to happen, and any decision to do so would be met with a MTO Transportation Policy Statement making it illegal to do so.

 

[Ansem]

They may listen but doing a U turn and stopping construction on an existing project is much less likely. Granted that the Minister of Transportation has the power to order changes to the plan, but still...

I'm not aware that the Sheppard-Finch thing came from Miller. Can you provide a source for this claim?

I meant to say that Miller came up with Sheppard east as a north crosstown and that I found that the LRT connection at Don Mills was ridiculous

sorry

 

[Ansem]

You're setting your hopes up over nothing. If you think today's announcement translates into a complete reversal of the past 7 years, you are living very far outside of reality.

It is a fact that more concillors are starting to speak up on Transit. (finally)

It's a fact that Miller had a lot of influence at the council.

It's only fair to discuss how his departure will affect Toronto's public transit in the future.

It's not only my hopes but the hope of many councillors representing thousands of torontonians...I guess we're all in denial according to you.

 

[PukeGreen]

I'm hoping Miller's decision not to run will reduce the likelihood of a serious backlash vote that puts a hardcore right winger into office. Another left-of-centre candidate should be able to run successfully, and be mostly free from the negative baggage Miller carriers from this summer's strike, amongst other things.

Any mayor that seriously reduces transit funding would be making a drastic mistake, and cementing Toronto as a "backwards" city. Witness the glowing reviews this week of Pittsburgh's rejuvenation from industrial backwater to vibrant "green" city.

 

[DavidH]

I'm hoping Miller's decision not to run will reduce the likelihood of a serious backlash vote that puts a hardcore right winger into office. Another left-of-centre candidate should be able to run successfully, and be mostly free from the negative baggage Miller carriers from this summer's strike, amongst other things.

Or at least a moderate centre-left/centre-right type.

 

[Fresh Start]

Good riddance! We need someone in office who'll think long-term about the system’s attractiveness and capacity in response to growing travel demand. Transfer City on most counts fails to adequately fulfill this criterion and its funding could instead be used towards 50 kms of new subways that'd benefit a larger segment of the population.

I don't know how y'all feel about Jane Pitfield, but at least she was talking about building a DRL/Queen subway and a Eglinton subway stretching to Jane St right about the same time as TC was being conceived.

 

[rbt]

We need someone in office who'll think long-term...

The system itself makes that difficult. They need to demonstrate progress by the next election to keep the job.

Miller has lots of things kickstarted though (waterfront, union, LRT, Subway, etc.) which will be finishing two elections from now. This might be enough to give whomever it is a second term for free.

 

[SunriseChampion]

I actually voted for Jane Pitfield, probably for that very reason. Though, in my defence, I was a meth addict at the time. lol

Given that we don't even know who might be an option next election and how they'll approach transit, I'd like to keep optimistic from now til then, thank you.

The next mayor may just very well bring bigger and better ideas where transit's concerned and doesn't necessarily have to be some sort of crazed 1950s throwback.