[innsertnamehere]

Hopefully, he realizes, or someone points out, how much less expensive an elevated line would be when compared to a fully tunnelled line along Eglinton.

Then when the budget is balanced in 2017, prior to the next election, he could extend the Sheppard subway east and west instead of resurrecting the SELRT and FWLRT.

It is true that this would represent a 4 year delay until farther transit construction – which is basically the same delay the current Liberals are proposing.

how so? transit funding will be secured by the end of the year under the liberals, while you will be looking at 2017 to even start looking at funding under Hudak. And if you are claiming that the Sheppard subway is needed more than the DRL I might as well not be arguing with you.

and you are talking about Hudak here, who somehow thought it would be a good idea to propose chain gangs. He is not going to get the idea to elevate the line.

 

[Dilla]

two chicks at once.

 

[nfitz]

Did he promise to cancel the projects that are already being built, or just the ones that are planned.

He simply promised to cancel the Toronto LRT projects and when there is a surplus (which is surely is never, given he's also promised to lower taxes), to build subways instead.

He didn't get into details ... but presumably the longer it takes for Hudak to get into power (there may not be an an election until late 2015), and the more contracts that are awarded, the more chance that lines under construction would open anyway (or at least be partially built, and left as partially-completed structures the same way large sections of the Second Avenue subway in New York were constructed in the early 1970s, and still maintained to this day but are not usable.

Clearly though, anyone who wants the province helping pay for expanded transit in Toronto isn't going to be supporting Hudak.

 

[allabootmatt]

Truly dreaming I know, but my fantasy is seeing a coherent effort on the part of the City, TTC, and Hydro to bring our streetscapes and public spaces up to the standards of Montreal and Vancouver at a minimum, with non-hideous street furniture, an end to haphazard utility cutting everywhere, and a gradual plan to bury all utility wires in the central city.

 

[BurlOak]

how so? transit funding will be secured by the end of the year under the liberals, while you will be looking at 2017 to even start looking at funding under Hudak. And if you are claiming that the Sheppard subway is needed more than the DRL I might as well not be arguing with you.

and you are talking about Hudak here, who somehow thought it would be a good idea to propose chain gangs. He is not going to get the idea to elevate the line.

The Liberals have been promising funding for Transit City for quite some time and they have both cut it and delayed it. A 1 year delay by Ford and Stintz gets converted into a 5 year delay in SELRT. I think the ECLRT, SELRT and FWLRT were supposed to finished before the PanAm games according to the Liberals original commitment.

If the next round of transit is part of Hudak's subsequant election, then the funding would be available immediately.

I am not suggesting Sheppard subway is needed for than the DRL any more than you are suggesting the the SELRT is a higher priority than the DRL.

 

[nfitz]

If the next round of transit is part of Hudak's subsequant election, then the funding would be available immediately.

Why would you suggest it might be part of a next election when he's quite clearly said that there would be no funds until the budget is balanced, and he's already promised a tax cut?

 

[BurlOak]

Why would you suggest it might be part of a next election when he's quite clearly said that there would be no funds until the budget is balanced, and he's already promised a tax cut?

If you read the posts it seems obvious that we were talking about 2017 and my use of the word "subsequent" refers to the election at that time an not the (likely) 2013 election.

I can see that this argument is not really going anywhere since it is all hypothetical – we can not predict what Hudak will do since he has never lead, and his “white papers†are still not election platforms. We know the reliability of a McGuinty promise, but we have no way of knowing what a future Liberal leader would do.

 

[Irishmonk]

-Gerard Kennedy wins the provincial Liberal leadership race.
-Olivia Chow is elected Mayor
-The DRL is fast tracked into development by Metrolinx and the provincial Liberals, who announce new transit taxes for its funding. A Yonge express line to Richmond Hill is bumped to next highest priority.
-Dazzling new homes for MoCA, a planetarium/science centre and a Toronto museum are announced, all to be funded by a local billionaire turned philanthropist.
-a popular shopping street (Kensington, Cumberland) is fully pedestrianized, triggering a wave of similar proposals on a much larger scale. (including Yonge St.)
-the violent crime rate drops well beneath historic lows, garnering international attention.
-a world leading research institution is announced for the UofT.
-a decision to bury the Gardiner, funded by road tolls, is made.
-red brick makes a major comeback.
-a local hip hop artist takes the world by storm, and single-handedly--albiet briefly--makes Toronto cool.
-the Blue Jays win the World Series.

 

[toto]

1) Rob Ford stop taking credit for things he had nothing to do with. Like - the current building boom and the budget surpluses.
2) Rob Ford start taking responsibility for things he has everything to do with. Starting with telling the truth for a change and show even the slightiest hint of some real leadership.
3) Waterfront Toronto plans executed as original planned.
4) A decision to never build a casino in Toronto is made.
5) A complete system of separate bike lanes is built, connecting every corner of the city to the core. Biking to the zoo from the waterfront would make for a nice one day outing.
6) Ontario Place is restored and repurposed. Not replaced!

 

[nfitz]

If you read the posts it seems obvious that we were talking about 2017 and my use of the word "subsequent" refers to the election at that time an not the (likely) 2013 election.

I read the posts, and it certainly wasn't clear.

The next election is scheduled for 2015, so a following election may not be until 2019. But even then if the elections are 2013 and 2017 ... how would the budget magically get balanced in only 4 years by cutting taxes? The current forecast is a balanced budget in 2018, so how do you get it sooner by cutting taxes?

 

[BurlOak]

I read the posts, and it certainly wasn't clear.

The next election is scheduled for 2015, so a following election may not be until 2019. But even then if the elections are 2013 and 2017 ... how would the budget magically get balanced in only 4 years by cutting taxes? The current forecast is a balanced budget in 2018, so how do you get it sooner by cutting taxes?

Harris did it.

 

[nfitz]

Harris did it.

By increasing revenue from $46-billion to $63-billion in 5 years, and reducing spending increases (partially by cancelling the Eglinton subway). That's a 37% revenue increase in 5-years, during a period of massive economic growth, in one of the biggest global booms in a century.

How much of a revenue increase is Hudak proposing?

And do we really want to cancel the Eglinton line again for another 15 years?

 

[calimehtar]

In Ford's last act as mayor, he admits that we actually have a revenue problem and implements an assortment of new revenue generating tools including raising property tax at a rate slightly higher than inflation and congestion charges in the downtown.

A plan to integrate the airport rail link into the TTC is announced, with the addition of stops at Eglinton and Bloor and electrification. Integration with TTC fares at the express rate will begin with the launch of the service. Electrification and new stations will be added over the following 5 years.

Additionally TTC service will begin on the central portion of all GO train routes.

Work begins on the DRL with completion projected for 2017.

Work begins on burying the Gardiner Expressway.

A separated bike lane on Harbord is completed and work on a new north-south separated lane on Bathurst is begun.

Queen St from Bathurst to Sherbourne is converted to a Streetcar right of way and is pedestrian only except on weekdays from 10AM to 4PM when two lanes of one-way traffic allow for deliveries and trash pickup.

 

[W. K. Lis]

1) Rob Ford stop taking credit for things he had nothing to do with. Like - the current building boom and the budget surpluses.
2) Rob Ford start taking responsibility for things he has everything to do with. Starting with telling the truth for a change and show even the slightiest hint of some real leadership.
3) Waterfront Toronto plans executed as original planned.
4) A decision to never build a casino in Toronto is made.
5) A complete system of separate bike lanes is built, connecting every corner of the city to the core. Biking to the zoo from the waterfront would make for a nice one day outing.
6) Ontario Place is restored and repurposed. Not replaced!

And the city actually plows the snow off the bike paths after it snows, not just letting the sun melt it in the spring if not earlier.