Olivia's response summed up.................let Ottawa and Queen's Park pay for it.
This notion of not paying for transit infrastructure is a totally Toronto unique idea. No other city on the planet could ever even imagine not putting some of it's own money into their own infrastructure and certainly wouldn't approach senior levels of government without their own commitment first.
As for Chow's idea of a 10% increase in bus service, I was asked what was wrong with that? My answer, nothing, nothing at all. There is no such thing as a bad increase in service but the problem is that she fundamentally believes that is the answer to Toronto's transit woes. Toronto already has good local transit what it needs is good and extensive rapid transit and her plan doesn't even mention it. Toronto's mass transit system is so ridiculously small it's an outrage and Chow doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
She is such a downtowner that she can't even conceive of the idea that people don't like taking transit. The reality is that 95% of the population HATE taking transit and only due to necessity {ie can't afford to drive/park} or that it really is time competitive with the car such as commuter rail from the 905.
People don't pack onto the Yonge line because of the pleasant experience, lovely underground views, enjoy the seating, love standing with someone's armpit in their face, listening to other people's foul mouth or their latest love conquest, the soothing sound of a screeching train, or the picturesque Stalinist stations. No, they take it because it is fast and get's people to where they want to go in the smallest amount of time. This is why people will walk MUCH further to get to a rapid transit station than they will their local bus stop.
Tory understands that the best transit experience for 99% of the population is the fastest one humanely possible and only rapid transit can provide that and only true rapid/mass transit will be enough to entice someone to leave their car at home.
