[denfromoakvillemilton]

I don't think so, not with Toronto Rocket or T1 rolling stock and the current tunnel configuration.

The tunnels are big enough. Besides they are not even done yet.

 

[Solid Snake]

He should change Eglinton over to a subway if that's how he feels. He wants to complete Sheppard and the Bloor Danforth Extension.

he should elevate Eglinton East. Changing technology now would be a mistake and LRT would work if the trains were elevated

 

[Solid Snake]

That's awfully optimistic for what you think a majority conservative government would do. If Eglinton did remain as a project, it would almost certainly be deferred until after Hudak's 1st term to a (2025 opening date) and perhaps not even restart construction in a truncated format until the end of his second term (2030 opening). Borrowing limits would force the SRT fix and his own promises to go first; unless you think they would defer their election promises to finish Eglinton?

That said, this election will probably not result in a majority government for any party. They will need to work with another party to get a budget passed.

I can see lots of things the Liberals might demand (preserve green belt or full-day kindergarten; implement 15 minute GO service) but traditionally the opposition almost always votes against the budget regardless of content.

That means Conservatives will require NDP support to get a budget passed. I struggle to find many things the NDP could demand that the Conservatives would agree to particularly with them head-butting over major items like union jobs, subway versus LRT, etc. At the federal level they had a bit of common ground, I don't see that at the provincial level.

Frankly, I think a Conservative minority government would be very short lived and not accomplish much of anything (3% trim from all departments, mostly management?). Unless the NDP get clobbered for forcing this election, Conservatives may not get support for even a single budget; but if NDP does get clobbered (leading to unexpected Liberal votes) then how do the Conservatives take a minority government in the first place?

Of course I meant if they win a majority.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

he should elevate Eglinton East. Changing technology now would be a mistake and LRT would work if the trains were elevated

If the people elect the PC's then they are saying they don't want LRT. If they have to wait until 2023 so be it. Make it a subway and get the monkey off your back.

 

[GenerationW]

He should change Eglinton over to a subway if that's how he feels. He wants to complete Sheppard and the Bloor Danforth Extension.

Based on your recent posts, it seems a lot more how YOU feel than Hudak.

 

[sixrings]

If the people elect the PC's then they are saying they don't want LRT. If they have to wait until 2023 so be it. Make it a subway and get the monkey off your back.

This is rob ford logic. People that think this way assume people who voted for rob ford agreed with all his transit file. When in reality they might have just had tax cuts ad their number one issue and they were willing to compromise on everything else. I am liberal but that does not mean I agree with all day day care. But it does mean I agree with their transit plan. I have catholic family which agree that the priests should be able to get married but at the end of the day it isn't a big enough issue to leave the church. Voting for one party does not mean you agree with all their policies. If that was true ndp would have zero votes right now because they have presented a pc style budget.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Based on your recent posts, it seems a lot more how YOU feel than Hudak.

It's in the white paper, that he wants to bury eglinton (why?) and complete sheppard. And based your recent posts, you seem interested in following posters around the board. That is what you're doing right?

This is rob ford logic. People that think this way assume people who voted for rob ford agreed with all his transit file. When in reality they might have just had tax cuts ad their number one issue and they were willing to compromise on everything else. I am liberal but that does not mean I agree with all day day care. But it does mean I agree with their transit plan. I have catholic family which agree that the priests should be able to get married but at the end of the day it isn't a big enough issue to leave the church. Voting for one party does not mean you agree with all their policies. If that was true ndp would have zero votes right now because they have presented a pc style budget.

I disagree. Rob Ford was elected by people who apparently decided they didn't like TC all of a sudden in 2010. The LRT is the better option, because to be frank, we have no money for subways. But if they don't want it, there is not much we can do.

 

[sixrings]

Rob fords campaign was "cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, and subways subways subways." for every ten times he mentioned cutting the gravy and reducing taxes he threw in making subways. It was not a big part of his election campaign and it was easily lost in the vote for me because you are angry with David Miller and the liberals rhetoric. The few people who did vote based on the subways subways subways platform were promised subways subways subways with no additional taxes and private companies paying the bills. In reality rob ford has agreed he will have to increase taxes to build subways. We are essentially back to the TC plan on three out of the four lines. The PCs can say everyone was part of delaying the transit but in reality one person derailed transit and see few people who wanted to cozy up followed suit. But in the end we are back to where we were with Miller plus the Bloor extension. People for the most part didn't vote for ford based on his transit policy because he didn't have one. People aren't going to vote hudak for his transit policy because he doesn't have one. People vote for these people because they'd rather have a few extra bucks in their pocket then the possibility of increased public transit. At the same time these people will be the first to bitch when they are in their car about to miss their daughters play because nothing got built or when they are trapped like sardines on the Yonge Line because nothing got built and they are late for work. Voting conservative is voting F you to transit.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Rob fords campaign was "cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy cut the gravy, cut the gravy, cut the gravy, and subways subways subways." for every ten times he mentioned cutting the gravy and reducing taxes he threw in making subways. It was not a big part of his election campaign and it was easily lost in the vote for me because you are angry with David Miller and the liberals rhetoric. The few people who did vote based on the subways subways subways platform were promised subways subways subways with no additional taxes and private companies paying the bills. In reality rob ford has agreed he will have to increase taxes to build subways. We are essentially back to the TC plan on three out of the four lines. The PCs can say everyone was part of delaying the transit but in reality one person derailed transit and see few people who wanted to cozy up followed suit. But in the end we are back to where we were with Miller plus the Bloor extension. People for the most part didn't vote for ford based on his transit policy because he didn't have one. People aren't going to vote hudak for his transit policy because he doesn't have one. People vote for these people because they'd rather have a few extra bucks in their pocket then the possibility of increased public transit. At the same time these people will be the first to bitch when they are in their car about to miss their daughters play because nothing got built or when they are trapped like sardines on the Yonge Line because nothing got built and they are late for work. Voting conservative is voting F you to transit.

I can agree 100 percent with this. At some point though I feel the people are as responsible. The extra money, like you said, will not save you time going to work or prevent you from being on the yonge line at 5:15 trying to get home.

 

[kEiThZ]

Holiday will most likely be re-elected. I'm thinking the Tories could pick up a few Toronto seats like Etobicoke Centre, Etobicoke North and Scarborough-Rouge River. The Tories will have to really fight for seats in Etobcoke and Scarborough though.

Tories won't get Scarborough Rouge-River. What's that idea based on? Bas Balkisoon is quite popular here. If anything, might go NDP.

 

[kEiThZ]

I'd like to see the City of Toronto, the province and the federal government get together to enshrine some sort of "Charter of the City of Toronto" into the constitution. A city with our size, with a government of our size, ought to be more than a mere creature of the province. We need a guaranteed separation of powers so the province can't come in and meddle with our affairs - like uploading the one profitable part of the transit system while leaving us the rest to pay for, for example.

Actually, uploading the subway is something transit advocates should support. It leads to proper pricing, like fare-by distance for example. It leads to better integration with other major networks like GO. It leads more investment, as profits as spent on better maintenance or upgrades, instead of subsidizing the bus system.


On the broader idea...we don't need a city charter that would create all sort of constitutional squabbles, even if done just inside Ontario. Instead, a properly empowered Metrolinx that acts more like TfL with provincial cover would be fine.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Keithz:

Except it is not at all clear how uploading will achieve that, considering that the capital needs of the subway system (even just SOGR) is probably far greater than whatever profit the system generates. Not to mention, given the dependency of the ridership on the bus system, it is unclear what impact taking away that subsidy will create (and coupling that with the not so veiled threat of reduced municipal transfers).

Of course, nobody actually said anything about "properly empowering Metrolinx" in their campaign (and rest assured, revenue raising capacity is definitely not in the scope) - and counting on provincial cover on that score (vs. opportunistic interference) is probably naive.

AoD

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

The whole TTC should be taken by the province. That's the only way this is going to work.

 

[diminutive]

The problem with Metrolinx is that politicians will continue to use it as a pet-project fund. If the idea is to have a professional, ridership-oriented body to coordinate and plan transit in the region, it makes no sense to have politicians throwing up pet projects to battleground ridings every time there's an election.

Since Metrolinx has been created, have they even originated a single project? I can't think of any. The trend seems to be to use it to legitimate whatever municipal/provincial pet project is deemed essential.

What's needed is, I think, a more participatory approach. For instance, the Province would create a corporation for the entire region which would be jointly owned by QP and the relevant municipalities. Every 4 years, the company would draft a performance agreement with the Province, municipalities and everyday people through some kind of participatory referendum. This agreement would stipulate required operations all across the GTA, fare schedules, capital plans and revenue tools. Based on agreed funding levels, shareholders would appoint directors to oversee the plan's implementation (e.g. if the City of Toronto funds 50% of operations, it would get 50% of seats, roughly).

That would still be "open to politics" but it would prevent constant tinkering to suit whatever political priority pops up. Politicians would be forced to craft definitive documents outlining their priorities, and could then be held to account for their priorities in the next election cycle.

 

[rbt]

Since Metrolinx has been created, have they even originated a single project? I can't think of any. The trend seems to be to use it to legitimate whatever municipal/provincial pet project is deemed essential.

The whole electrified frequent GO-Rex service was a Metrolinx concept prior to the merger with GO. At that time GO seemed to think it was overkill.