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DavidH said:
Oh, agreed. Those are some of the reasons why I'm not a conspiracy theorist. :)

TTC is NOT paying the bills, though. Metrolinx's investment strategy, such as it is, states that they will burn through the provincial cash commitment to fund the first projects and then figure out what they will do from there. The City is not being asked to pay anything. That's one reason why these lines will be provincially owned.
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I personally don't see it as TTC / city / provincial / federal money, I see it as my money, and I want it to be spent wisely regardless of which level of government it is being funneled through. And I don't see the province spending an extra billion or so to force the TTC to extend a money losing subway as a wise use of that money, especially when that subway is not needed.
 
Voltz said:
And I don't see the province spending an extra billion or so to force the TTC to extend a money losing subway as a wise use of that money, especially when that subway is not needed.
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Absolutely, because politicians have never insisted on building unneeded subways at the expense of needed infrastructure. Why, it's unthinkable! :)

I don't seriously believe anything like this will happen to the RTP, but the new legislation gives the province the right to do this, which means the risk of a new Sorbara extension is nonzero.

More realistically, the province could start cutting things *out* of the RTP.
 
nfitz said:
I'd also think that this will bias funding more towards GO projects, and away from municipal projects.
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This is something I could see. The re-org is not supposed to impact municipal transit.

Realistically, GO projects should and will be priority. GO is the only truly inter-regional system in the GTHA and will probably get the most bang for the buck in terms of votes and impact on commuting. I think we'll see all the GO projects including electrification come to the fore, maybe at the cost of some local transit.

The one project I am hoping gets reviewed is the whole Scarborough RT fiasco.
 
McGuinty defends move to remove politicians from Metrolinx

http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/611083

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Premier Dalton McGuinty is defending a move to boot mayors and other politicians off the board of a merged Metrolinx.

He says while mayors have provided good ideas so far, they've done as much as they can and it's now time to get the private-sector on board.

While he wouldn't go as far as to say political interests were slowing projects down, McGuinty did say the change will bring projects on more quickly.

He says transit users are impatient for new projects to come online and want those in charge to stop talking about borders.

The government announced plans to merge regional transit agency Metrolinx with GO Transit on Monday – in a move it says will improve service for millions of commuters.

Outgoing Torstar Corp. chief executive Robert Prichard will be the transition adviser for the deal, while Metrolinx chairman Rob MacIsaac and Go Transit chairman Peter Smith will round off the transition advisory board.
 
kEiThZ said:
This is something I could see. The re-org is not supposed to impact municipal transit.
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Though it was being used as a tool finance major local lines; and this was evident back in MoveOntario 2020 where the Transit City lines were included from Day 1, even though they were local; and in the Metrolinx plan that did include local projects, such as the Downtown Relief Line (though surely one day - not soon - but one day it would stretch to Markham).

kEiThZ said:
Realistically, GO projects should and will be priority.
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I don't think GO - at least on some routes - is starting to hit the point where it can't grow much, without a significantly improved local backbone, which is also what was being deliverd.

kEiThZ said:
The one project I am hoping gets reviewed is the whole Scarborough RT fiasco.
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With no final decision - that one still seems to be up in the air.
 
Citynews just reported that the announcement will be $9B from the federal and provincial budgets covering:

- VIVA upgrades (presumably the phase 2 BRT)
- SRT Upgrade
- Eglinton crosstown
- Finch West
- something not detailed in Hamilton

Oddly, Sheppard was not mentioned. We'll see if this list is accurate, but if it is, it could be the final format of the line is still not determined to everyone's satisfaction.
 
Interesting stuff. Finch West and Eglinton-Crosstown are two of the best components of Transit City (unlike say Sheppard East), so I'm very curious as to what will actually be announced.
 
Ontario to make $9-billion transit funding announcement
JEFF GRAY AND KAREN HOWLETT

Globe and Mail Update

April 1, 2009 at 12:19 PM EDT

TORONTO — Premier Dalton McGuinty will today announce billions in funding for Toronto Mayor David Miller's light-rail transit vision with the Mayor by his side, just days after kicking him and other local politicians off the board of the province's Toronto-area transportation agency.

The plans, to be announced today at the bus garage where York Region stores its Viva rapid transit buses, will see the province confirm support for Mr. Miller's 31-kilometre, partially tunnelled light-rail line on Eglinton from the Kennedy subway station to Pearson airport.

The Eglinton rapid transit line will be the most expensive among the projects, costing about $4.6-billion. The City of Toronto and Metrolinx will determine final costs, the government said.

The proposed rapid transit system for Hamilton will be the second most expensive project at an estimated $3-billion. The study initiated by the province will examine potential rapid transit systems on two corridors in Hamilton. The study should be completed in the spring of 2010.

The York Viva system and Scarborough rapid transit system will each cost an estimated $1.4-billion. The Finch light rail system will come in at an estimated $1.2-billion.

It will also include funding for the Toronto Transit Commission's plans to update and extend the Scarborough Rapid Transit line, and build a new rapid transit line along Finch Avenue from the Yonge subway line west to Highway 27 and east to Don Mills station.

The projects are subject to environmental and other approvals and will cost about $9-billion. The projects are part of the McGuinty government's plans to spend $11.5-billion on transit projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton areas.

“We need to move quickly to build a better public transit system for commuters,†Premier Dalton McGuinty said in a statement. “Our investments in transit will create jobs, help stimulate the economy and improve the air we breathe.â€

Construction on the York Viva bus system will begin this year and all segments should be up and running by the end of 2013. The extension of the Scarborough Rapid Transit Line should be in service by 2015, the government says.

The investment is part of the McGuinty government's plan to use transportation and other infrastructure projects to help create jobs and kick-start the ailing economy.
 
The article claims that the finch line will be built out to Don Mills station, interesting, but of course that may not be a final decision
 
Well, we now know the fate of the SRT - a rehabilitation and extension to Malvern, likely using Mark II ICTS cars.
 
ShonTron said:
Well, we now know the fate of the SRT - a rehabilitation and extension to Malvern, likely using Mark II ICTS cars.
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But the latest study quoted that option at more than 1.7 B, versus 1.4 B per this announcement.

Is it certain that they are going to keep ICTS, or can the "upgrade" mean replacement with LRT?
 
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