[Solid Snake]

NDP will discuss funding ‘gap’ for Sheppard subway, but not until after election

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/0...sheppard-subway-but-not-until-after-election/

NDP leader Andrea Horwath isn’t committing to fill “a gap†in funding for Mayor Rob Ford’s Sheppard subway extension if she is elected premier, but she’s willing to talk about it after the election.

Ms. Horwath met with the Mayor at City Hall on Wednesday, the second of the major party leaders to have a sit down with Toronto’s chief magistrate in the run up to the October vote. She says Mr. Ford told her that there may be “a gap†in private financing to proceed with the project.


“I said, if I’m in the premier’s chair and you determine what the gap is, we’ll have a conversation,†Ms. Horwath told reporters after emerging from her meeting.

Mayor Ford said he’s looking for money from the federal and provincial governments to help bankroll the Sheppard subway after a meeting at Queen’s Park with Premier Dalton McGuinty last month. He asked the premier to accelerate $650-million in funding that is only available if the Eglinton light rail line comes in under budget.

Mr. Ford endorsed Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the waning days of the federal election, but he is keeping his powder dry for now on the provincial race.

“There is no secret that I have voted Conservative before, and I did support Flaherty in the last election, but what I’m doing is listening to all the leaders, I’m meeting with all of them, and whoever is going to benefit the city of Toronto the most, I’ll be supporting,†said Mayor Ford. “I don’t know if I’m going to endorse anyone right now, it’s too early in the race to say.â€

He would not comment on the NDP platform, which includes a pledge to subsidize the operating costs of the TTC, or whether or not he could be a “king maker†in the election. “King or Queen,†piped up Ms. Horwath. Others dismiss the power of so-called Ford Nation to chose a governing party.

“Ford Nation is a notion. It’s just a notion,†said Councillor Adam Vaughan. “It’s not a factor, it’s not going to be factor. It does not translate to the province, it won’t translate beyond the last election. “

 

[Solid Snake]

Hate him or love him, I think he will most likely be able to make the Sheppard subway a reality...

 

[gweed123]

Hate him or love him, I think he will most likely be able to make the Sheppard subway a reality...

Not a chance. The only way the private sector is ever getting involved with something like that is if the PPP deal makes the 407 ETR deal look like a suckers bet. The private sector won't touch it with a 10ft poll, and even if one does, the deal will fleece taxpayers, because they're going to want assurances on top of assurances that it's going to turn a profit. Of course, it won't turn a profit, so the taxpayers would be stuck footing a massive bill every year.

PPP only works when the deal is fair for both the private and public interests, and the project has a reasonable chance of returning the investment (ie if the line will see enough ridership to turn a profit). Eglinton would have been a better candidate for PPP than Sheppard ever will be.

 

[Swarley]

Hate him or love him, I think he will most likely be able to make the Sheppard subway a reality...

What are you basing this on?
The facts are that he said earlier this year that the Sheppard subway could be built with no public money up front, and ALREADY he's going around begging to every level of government.
As some of us have understood from the beginning, he clearly has no idea what he's doing in this job.

 

[gweed123]

What are you basing this on?
The facts are that he said earlier this year that the Sheppard subway could be built with no public money up front, and ALREADY he's going around begging to every level of government.
As some of us have understood from the beginning, he clearly has no idea what he's doing in this job.

It's the Conservative way.

Step 1: Make a grand statement
Step 2: Come up with some fuzzy math/logic to justify the decision
Step 3: Pray that the public doesn't read the fine print or do some investigating beyond just accepting you at your word

 

[nfitz]

It's the Conservative way.

Step 1: Make a grand statement
Step 2: Come up with some fuzzy math/logic to justify the decision
Step 3: Pray that the public doesn't read the fine print or do some investigating beyond just accepting you at your word

I wouldn't put this on all Conservatives. That seems unfair. Did John Tory every try this?

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

I wouldn't put this on all Conservatives. That seems unfair. Did John Tory every try this?

No. Had he have won. I guaratee Toronto would be a better place now.

 

[gweed123]

I wouldn't put this on all Conservatives. That seems unfair. Did John Tory every try this?

There's Conservatives, and then there's Progressive Conservatives. Tory was a PC. Hudak is a Neo Con.

I should have specified, it's the Neo Con way. My bad.

 

[M II A II R II K]

The TTC could adopt a land use lease agreement wherever it's available along the route, to perpetually receive income. The government can buy the land and give it to the TTC for free which would be a form of government funding.

Also to ensure more riders create more density where there isn't already density. Like townhouses, mews, more side streets, storefronts with parking lots at the back with more strip malls at the back, and stuff.

 

[Jonny5]

I wouldn't put this on all Conservatives. That seems unfair. Did John Tory every try this?

Hehe... only when he worked for Rogers and created the negative option billing fiasco.

 

[nfitz]

Hehe... only when he worked for Rogers and created the negative option billing fiasco.

I thought Tory didn't join Rogers until sometime later in 1995. The negative option billing thing was in late 1994, early 1995 if I remember correctly (it's been a while!).

 

[Paleo]

Hate him or love him, I think he will most likely be able to make the Sheppard subway a reality...

That's a good reason to make sure he gets turfed before it happens. Who wants to pay the hundreds of millions per year in capital and operating subsidy for 50,000 people to have a gold-plated ride each morning while we wait 100 years for NYCC to turn into downtown?

 

[kEiThZ]

Wider appeal of what? going from mall to mall?

No. Going from transit hub to transit hub (or mobility hubs in Metrolinx parlance). You do realize how important STC is to the transit network of the east end right?

Why is it that some people can't see the original vision of the Sheppard line? There's a lot of utility in being able to go from STC to Downview without having to take the SRT, the Bloor-Danforth line, and YUS or alternatively bus/LRT-subway-bus for 1.5 hours (and the SELRT would not help much with travel time here).

The stubway is useless. Build the thing end-to-end and it would be utterly transformational to the north end of the 416. Just like Eglinton will be when it runs from Kennedy to the airport (eventually).

 

[nfitz]

No. Going from transit hub to transit hub (or mobility hubs in Metrolinx parlance). You do realize how important STC is to the transit network of the east end right?

Only because that's where everyone north of the 401 has to go to get the SRT. If the LRT went down Sheppard and interecepted it, and the SRT was extended to Sheppherd, then you wouldn't have anywhere near as many people boarding at SC.

 

[kEiThZ]

Only because that's where everyone north of the 401 has to go to get the SRT. If the LRT went down Sheppard and interecepted it, and the SRT was extended to Sheppherd, then you wouldn't have anywhere near as many people boarding at SC.

Yes. But it would still be the busiest stop (aside from kennedy) on the line. It's the biggest TTC bus hub on the line (possibly busier in terms of routes and maybe even bus riders than Kennedy). It's got the largest Greyhound/inter-city and GO bus terminal in the Eastern GTA. And it's the only stop along that entire corridor with any reasonable claim to TOD (residential and commercial) in the vicinity (even Kennedy does not come close). Not to mention you know...the mall, the Scarborough Civic Centre, and a whole host of governmental and non-governmental organizations in the area.

I'm not saying the Sheppard subway has to be priority number one. But the idea that there's no value in it because it's "a gold plated service for 50 000 riders" serving "a mall" is patently ridiculous. That's some US Republican style misdirection.