Transit City Plan

[Ansem]

Hey everyone!

On topic: If we look at the political atmosphere at the moment, it doesn't look too good for McGuinty's liberal. Toronto has always been know for being liberal and we just elected a conservative mayor. With the Liberal not looking too good for the next election,

I just CANNOT see Mcguinty telling Toronto "It's Transit City or nothing". I predict he'll gladly let Ford redistribute Transit money like Ford wants to to keep his seats in Toronto.
His only option would be to blame Metrolinx for imposing Transit City but we all know who's boss here...

I really think we just witness Transit City's death...

Cancelling Downtown streetcar's network and Bombardier Flexcity order will be next to impossible for him, but cancelling SELRT, "put it in the bank"

 

[GenerationW]

but cancelling SELRT, "put it in the bank"

I agree. The question is, does it just disappear, or is there an agreement with Flaherty and the Feds to step up their contribution and replace it with with a subway extension?

 

[rbt]

I really think we just witness Transit City's death...

Huzzah for at minimum of 6 more years of doing nothing on the transit front during Ford's second term. Sheppard will require a fresh EA and will be blocked by the Pan Am Games.

I am curious as to what will happen with Eglinton. BRT was promised by Ford as an alternative to the Eglinton LRT, including the underground bit, but that was done pretty quietly.

 

[Ansem]

The feds might like what they just witness in Toronto today and up the ante on their promises and funding to Transit in this city to capitalize on For victory...

Why such a fuzz for the Pan Am games?
I'd rather they do it right for when it will be Toronto's time to try for the Summer olympic games later. Chicago's defeat made it very likely.
Don't you think a shepard Subway and B-D to STC wouldn't be a huge improvement in comparison to Transit City?
At least we'd have a decent Transit network on the table and if we win...I'm thinking DRL

For his 1st 4 years, Eglinton is a question mark...
They might dig or not but at least it's pretty much assure that Eglinton SUBWAY is on the table.

 

[rbt]

Don't you think a shepard Subway and B-D to STC wouldn't be a huge improvement in comparison to Transit City?
At least we'd have a decent Transit network on the table and if we win...I'm thinking DRL

DRL is dead.

A Ford win implies a Hudak win is also probable (Ford owes his public support). There will be no additional transit money from the province except out of budget surplus dollars AFTER taxation is cut (I.e. very low priority). The only exception to this is if the banks complain very very loudly. Almost certainly there will be no new funding except what has already been hard-committed (Sheppard and Eglinton really, remainder was pretty soft) during Hudaks first term.

SRT replacement will be a technical priority for any funding that does come along. You can assume after a Hudak win that any transit city money which has not been spent will not be spent in Toronto on transit.

No, I do not predict any expansion of Sheppard, single station or otherwise, to be complete before 2025 BUT you might get the SRT replaced with a subway.

 

[lafard]

We've already spent 1.4 billion dollars on transit city. It's not going anywhere.

If so, the eglinton tunnel will be the big casualty. The eglinton subway is dead. There will be no third attempt at it.

The BD extension is more important (although the province just gave the go-ahead for the SLRT extension last week), so with the multibillion shortfall SHeppard falls by the wayside. They may as well finish the LRT.

Or do nothing, your choice.

 

[EnviroTO]

Rob Ford is anti-spending. Anything cancelled is simply cancelled. He wouldn't spend a dime on an Olympic bid. He wouldn't spend a dime on a subway unless the city had 0% tax increases coupled with surpluses. Mark my word no new subway will start under Ford and the TTC will have budget issues leading to service cuts. Hudak winning would virtually end Metrolinx funding for expansion projects.

 

[superman]

I'm REALLY interested to see what Rob Ford will do. I think Eglinton will probably be turned to a subway (with the line truncated at the tunnel sections). The BD extension will probably happen too since the SRT HAS to be replaced and Ford has a strong base there. But as for Sheppard and Finch, who knows.

 

[Justin10000]

The SELRT is being paid by both the province and the feds. It's getting built. Ford is not going to stop it. It's amazing why you people think a subway is going to be built on Sheppard. It's not happening.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

The SELRT is being paid by both the province and the feds. It's getting built. Ford is not going to stop it. It's amazing why you people think a subway is going to be built on Sheppard. It's not happening.

The Eglinton subway was under construction as well as the full Sheppard subway; Eglinton got cancelled and Sheppard got castrated. Anything can happen.

 

[Justin10000]

The Eglinton subway was under construction as well as the full Sheppard subway; Eglinton got cancelled and Sheppard got castrated. Anything can happen.

The Eglinton subway was barely under construction before it was cancelled. The Sheppard Subway was truncated to Don Mills to stick within the original funding agreement.

The SELRT is being funded by 2 levels of government, and Metrolinx already stated TC will be built regardless of who the new mayor is. Yeah anything can happen, and that is the Sheppard subway never being extended. Ever. Live with it.

 

[GraphicMatt]

Again, I don't think much will change. He made no mention of transit in his victory speech. It's just not on his list of major priorities.

 

[junctionist]

We have Metrolinx for times like these. They say that transit expansion has to happen for the health of the region, and Rob Ford might agree. If the province commits money, Rob Ford may spend. He's most committed to 'reigning in' spending at City Hall, not necessarily at the levels of governments. Transit is a fairly basic issue that isn't difficult to justify in concrete terms.

 

[GenerationW]

The SELRT is being paid by both the province and the feds. It's getting built. Ford is not going to stop it. It's amazing why you people think a subway is going to be built on Sheppard. It's not happening.

Any potential subway is secondary right now. The issue at hand is the the status of the LRT. Ford wants to can it, and the Feds would likely have no qualms about pulling its $300 million share, so the heart of the matter is Ford vs Queen's Park. Ford is coming off a big win while McGuinty is only a year away from facing an angry electorate. Huge advantage: Ford

 

[GenerationW]

Metrolinx already stated TC will be built regardless of who the new mayor is. Yeah anything can happen, and that is the Sheppard subway never being extended. Ever. Live with it.

What Metrolinx says is irrelevant in the face of political reality. It's just a passenger for the next year.