[nfitz]

I can't see him willingly compromising, as he has so adamantly doubled-down on his position -- there is no way he can accept an at-grade Eglinton and save face. Stintz offered him a way out, and he threw it in her face.

A really bizarre move. Ford clearly needed to woo at least one councillor in order to maintain control of council. If he keeps up his vendetta against Stintz, he'll have to find two. Maybe three, as he seems to be alienating John Parker on this as well.

 

[denfromoakvillemilton]

Give Ford the option of road tolls and then use it to extend the line and get A DRL/Finch/Sheppard Built yesterday.

 

[Tulse]

Give Ford the option of road tolls

There is no way that Ford would approve of road tolls, and certainly no way that Ford's constituency would be happy with road tolls. All that smacks too much of the "war on cars".

 

[ssiguy2]

Although I think there higher priorities than Sheppard, comparing it's current less than stellar ridership level to reinforce the idea that it is a waste of money is disingenous.
When the Spadina is completed the transit traffic on Sheppard will soar as YorkU is the second largest transit centre in Toronto. A Sheppard line ext to Downsview or conversly to STC would not only actually serve thousands of more residents but actually get them somewhere. If it becomes one thru route from Downsview to STC the line actually serves not only thousands but also 2 main transit connection centres.
Also the said savings of $1 billion should be easy enough considering how the TTC think 2 km of suburban subway could cost nearly $1 billion...........an offensive amount.
That would be one very good result of making this a PPP........the private sector would demand value for the dollar, it wouln't build any $400 million subway stations a la Spadina, and it would be a more accountable contract. The great thing about the Canada Line is that the price and timeline were set as was station designs, routes, etc and any time or cost over runs would be 100% the financial responsibility of the private partner. None of this "escalated dollars" crap you get from the TTC.

 

[Paleo]

Although I think there higher priorities than Sheppard, comparing it's current less than stellar ridership level to reinforce the idea that it is a waste of money is disingenous.
When the Spadina is completed the transit traffic on Sheppard will soar as YorkU is the second largest transit centre in Toronto. A Sheppard line ext to Downsview or conversly to STC would not only actually serve thousands of more residents but actually get them somewhere. If it becomes one thru route from Downsview to STC the line actually serves not only thousands but also 2 main transit connection centres.
Also the said savings of $1 billion should be easy enough considering how the TTC think 2 km of suburban subway could cost nearly $1 billion...........an offensive amount.
That would be one very good result of making this a PPP........the private sector would demand value for the dollar, it wouln't build any $400 million subway stations a la Spadina, and it would be a more accountable contract. The great thing about the Canada Line is that the price and timeline were set as was station designs, routes, etc and any time or cost over runs would be 100% the financial responsibility of the private partner. None of this "escalated dollars" crap you get from the TTC.

I don't see enough planned employment density anywhere on Sheppard or the Vaughan line to cause such infrastructure to be anything other than huge money losers for decades to come.

 

[Dan416]

I don't see enough planned employment density anywhere on Sheppard or the Vaughan line to cause such infrastructure to be anything other than huge money losers for decades to come.

Too bad the DRL wasn't built first.

 

[gweed123]

A really bizarre move. Ford clearly needed to woo at least one councillor in order to maintain control of council. If he keeps up his vendetta against Stintz, he'll have to find two. Maybe three, as he seems to be alienating John Parker on this as well.

This is what I was thinking too. Under the Stintz plan, he would still get his ground-breaking photo with the Sheppard Subway, and Eglinton would still get built. He would have also gotten a ground-breaking photo on Finch too. It could have been really good press for him. Oh well...

There is no way that Ford would approve of road tolls, and certainly no way that Ford's constituency would be happy with road tolls. All that smacks too much of the "war on cars".

The right has the unique ability to take things that are in people's self-interests and make them hate them. Why can't the reverse be true?

"The people want subways. This is the only way to make it happen." That's all the justification Ford needed to cancel Transit City, so that may be all the justification he needs to implement road tolls. You know that on this issue he'd have the support of the majority of the people on the left, as well as his hardcore supporters. The only people he'd really have to convince are the people in the centre, who can at least be swayed by logic and reason.

 

[Tulse]

on this issue he'd have the support of the majority of the people on the left, as well as his hardcore supporters.

I think that road tolls on existing roads would supremely piss off his hardcore supporters, who think that they are already paying too much to the government. His main constituency would abandon him over that issue.

 

[Electrify]

I think that road tolls on existing roads would supremely piss off his hardcore supporters, who think that they are already paying too much to the government. His main constituency would abandon him over that issue.

You'd be surprised how effective his propaganda department, the Toronto Sun, is at leading the sheep of Ford Nation. HA! I guess this is why he wants a subway under Sheppard...

 

[Justin10000]

Ha! Good one.

 

[gweed123]

I think that road tolls on existing roads would supremely piss off his hardcore supporters, who think that they are already paying too much to the government. His main constituency would abandon him over that issue.

Like Electrify said, it's all in the propaganda. It's just a user fee, something that Rob Ford has been very keen on having kids who want to go swimming, and people who want to read a book, pay. This type of policy SHOULD be right up his alley.

Rob Ford could convince his hardcore supporters that forcing people to pay to take a piss in a public toilet is a good thing, as long as it would lower their taxes by a few cents.

 

[Tulse]

It's just a user fee, something that Rob Ford has been very keen on having kids who want to go swimming, and people who want to read a book, pay.

Only because his supporters have their own pools and don't read. Road tolls have been proposed before, and all the polling has clearly said that it's a non-starter, especially for existing roads that had been "free".

 

[11th]

Only because his supporters have their own pools and don't read. Road tolls have been proposed before, and all the polling has clearly said that it's a non-starter, especially for existing roads that had been "free".

Our taxes already paid for the roads, the same for sidewalks. Do we charge pedestrian to use the sidewalk ?

 

[EddyMCD]

The only solution is to tax everyone for everything. As soon as you try to distribute the taxes to certain pockets of people it becomes destined to fail.

Everyone benefits from proper road maintenance and good transit, even if they are too stupid to realize it. So we should all get taxed equally.

 

[W. K. Lis]

Our taxes already paid for the roads, the same for sidewalks. Do we charge pedestrian to use the sidewalk ?

Gasoline taxes do NOT pay for residential roads, Gardiner Expressway, nor the Don Valley Parkway. Property taxes pay for that. Gasoline taxes ONLY pay for the provincial highways such as the 401, 400, and the QEW.