EnviroTO
Senior Member
I'd have been using transit a decade ago that Bob Rae cancelled.
What did Bob Rae cancel? I thought he got the shovels in the ground for the Eglinton subway? Did he pull shovels out of the ground somewhere else?
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I'd have been using transit a decade ago that Bob Rae cancelled.
Did he? He downloaded GO Transit to the GTA municipalities. I think it was the elimination of any money for GO that resulted in the service cuts, rather than Harris himself. Though not living in the GTA at the time, I wasn't paying as much attention.
He cancelled Network 2011 (which had morphed into Peterson's "Let's Move" program). It stopped when the NDP came to power in 1990, and they finally started to do something late in their mandate, with Eglinton West starting construction of enabling works just before the election. So perhaps not so much cancel, but put on hold for 3 years. But you know what they say, transit delayed is transit denied.What did Bob Rae cancel? I thought he got the shovels in the ground for the Eglinton subway? Did he pull shovels out of the ground somewhere else?
Like Harris's later refunding of GO, Rae did later push ahead with Sheppard and Eglinton. However, if he had done so at the beginning of his mandate, rather than the end, then it would have got further.(I assume the Rae remark above is a typo? The Sheppard and Eglinton lines were both Rae projects that Harris killed.)
He cancelled Network 2011 (which had morphed into Peterson's "Let's Move" program). It stopped when the NDP came to power in 1990, and they finally started to do something late in their mandate, with Eglinton West starting construction of enabling works just before the election. So perhaps not so much cancel, but put on hold for 3 years. But you know what they say, transit delayed is transit denied.
Like Harris's later refunding of GO, Rae did later push ahead with Sheppard and Eglinton. However, if he had done so at the beginning of his mandate, rather than the end, then it would have got further.
Though Peterson is also to blame, as he sat on TTC and Metro council's original 1985 plan for near 5 years, before finally funding it late in his mandate, but dropping the number 2 priority item - the downtown relief line.
It's the same thing, over and over again. Every time we change horses, we lose years. McGuinty to Wynne being about the only exception ... though given she was Transportation Minister back in 2010/2011 when a lot of these projects were formulated, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that there has been rare continuity.
It seems every leader since the Conservative Davis as only funded transit in the final legs of their mandate. The only exception, by accident, is McGuinty. He only came up with something on transit late in his first mandate when he was fully expecting to lose to John Tory and it was his Hail Mary attempt. In retrospect, since Tory self destructed, it looks like the Liberals planned things from the start, even though it is not true.
That makes a degree of sense. The only difference this time is that Metrolinx (in its previous form) had already been created. In theory, it should have provided a means to ensure that plans aren't cancelled and changed every time the government does. I suspect that theory is about to be put to the test.
(And I thought maybe Rae had something to do with Network 2011 but couldn't remember. BUT, correct me if I'm wrong, that was a Toronto plan, not a regional plan. Any way you slice it, the succession of plans that have failed to come to realization is stunning. We have a fairly decent one now so, fingers crossed.)
That makes a degree of sense. The only difference this time is that Metrolinx (in its previous form) had already been created. In theory, it should have provided a means to ensure that plans aren't cancelled and changed every time the government does. I suspect that theory is about to be put to the test.
(And I thought maybe Rae had something to do with Network 2011 but couldn't remember. BUT, correct me if I'm wrong, that was a Toronto plan, not a regional plan. Any way you slice it, the succession of plans that have failed to come to realization is stunning. We have a fairly decent one now so, fingers crossed.)
I think both the NDP and Conservatives are in a much better place to change the Metrolinx plans - since they were not the ones who created the Agency in the first place. They may feel, perhaps rightly so, that experts should determine the options for transit, but the people, through there politicians, should have the final say.
Not only that, but then Metrolinx changed their conclusions that LRT is best and now are in agreement with the B-D extension. So, not only did the Liberals discredit the entire reason why Metrolinx was created in the first place, they also discredited the entire organization by forcing them to change their conclusions.
It seems every leader since the Conservative Davis as only funded transit in the final legs of their mandate. The only exception, by accident, is McGuinty. He only came up with something on transit late in his first mandate when he was fully expecting to lose to John Tory and it was his Hail Mary attempt. In retrospect, since Tory self destructed, it looks like the Liberals planned things from the start, even though it is not true.
Hang on. I agree with you. Davis was great for transport, though Miller was very transit unfriendly, and did a lot of damage in a few short months.It seems every leader since the Conservative Davis as only funded transit in the final legs of their mandate. The only exception, by accident, is McGuinty. He only came up with something on transit late in his first mandate when he was fully expecting to lose to John Tory and it was his Hail Mary attempt. In retrospect, since Tory self destructed, it looks like the Liberals planned things from the start, even though it is not true.
Hang on. I agree with you. Davis was great for transport, though Miller was very transit unfriendly, and did a lot of damage in a few short months.
But the McGuinty-Tory election was in late 2007. McGuinty's big transit announcements started in 2008, near the beginning of his second mandate.
The TYSSE is a $2.6 billion fully-funded project, made possible through funding from all three levels of government. In 2006, the Provincial government announced it would contribute $670 million, with an additional $200 million announced in 2007. The Federal Government announced its $697-million commitment to the project through the Building Canada Fund in 2007. The City of Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York will provide the remaining funds, each contributing $526 million and $352 million, respectively.
Er, when did Metrolinx "change their conclusions that LRT is best"? This guy seems to disagree with you.
Hang on. I agree with you. Davis was great for transport, though Miller was very transit unfriendly, and did a lot of damage in a few short months.
But the McGuinty-Tory election was in late 2007. McGuinty's big transit announcements started in 2008, near the beginning of his second mandate.