TJ O'Pootertoot
Senior Member
Don't expect any funding for fare integration from Metrolinx. Considering the annual funding that Metrolinx receives, I see no way for them to independently raise the money needed to fund fare integration. They'll need to go to Queen's Park for the money.
Well, first Queen's Park effectively is Metrolinx, which is part of the problem.
There are all sorts of ways for them to independently raise money, both for fare integration and for capital expansion and indeed for just about anything else they need to do. As BMO points out, highway tolls are one way and the TWO reports Metrolinx did on revenue tools list another good half dozen.
The only issue is political will. I'm disappointed Wynne hasn't done any of it so far but there is nothing, practically speaking that prevents her from announcing tomorrow that the province will revise the Metrolinx Act to reconstitute the board, distance their planning from the political process and allow them to introduce revenue tools to foster the implementation of The Big Move.
Back to the matter at hand, it's a question of POV. For many, the starting point seems to be, "TTC can't afford this, QP won't give them money so it's a non-starter." If you look at the GTA and the whole reason Metrolinx exists in the first place (not to mention the many, many metros that figured this out years ago), you see it's inevitable and necessary. Obviously there are issues, particularly in regards to equity, both for TTC and for riders. But thinking the current system can persist, this outdated and obsolete flat fare for the abstract space that happens to be the City of Toronto and a patchwork everywhere else , is as naive as thinking the TTC could have gone on handing out tokens and paper tickets, because that's what they always did.