All Entries Tagged With: "TTC"
Ford Transit Plan Could Cost The City $100-Million
The National Post speaks with parties involved in the Bombardier streetcar contract with the City and what may happen if Rob Ford is elected and opts to back out of the deal: “Each contract is really unique, and it depends on a wide range of legal conditions,” said Marc-Andre Lefebvre. “Certain transit authorities will put [...]
Warren: Smitherman’s The Ticket On Transit
Former TTC GM Michael Warren weighs in on the transit plans of the leading mayoral candidates and agrees with the ideas articulated by George Smitherman: “He seems to understand the socio-economic “value case” for enhanced transit, and the magnitude of investment that it will take to provide Torontonians with convenient, car-competitive transit service. His $17.4 [...]
Don’t Even Think Of Privatizing TTC, Coalition Warns Candidates
The newly-formed Public Transit Coaltion is using $500,000 of funds collected from TTC union members to create an advocacy campaign dedicated to keeping the TTC in public hands: “The campaign, which will include television and newspaper ads, touts service cuts, fare increases and the drain on taxpayers experienced in cities “like Toronto,” such as London, [...]
The Smell Test: Are Candidates Transit Claims Off The Rails?
The Toronto Star rolls out a new feature: “The Smell Test”, where they evaluate claims on major issues made by the leading mayoral candidates. First up: transportation: Sarah Thomson: According to TTC officials, a kilometre of subway costs about $300 million to design and build — $100 million more than Thomson budgeted. It’s not certain [...]
TTC Waiting For Candidates To Come Calling
Management at the Toronto Transit Commission are still waiting for some mayoral candidates to take them up on their offer for a full briefing on the issues facing the city’s transit system: “We’re glad they’re talking transit and we’re glad they’re talking to us — some of them are,” TTC chief general manager Gary Webster [...]
Hume: Don’t Confuse Road Rage With Transit Policy
The Star’s Christopher Hume thinks the current transit policies of the leading mayoral candidates reflect voter anger than a vision for transit: “So how seriously should we take these proposals? Ford’s oafish remarks about streetcars betray a complete unwillingness to look beyond his own irritation. But then, many Torontonians share his frustration, even though more [...]
Moving Toronto: Where The Candidates Stand
The Globe and Mail has a complete rundown of the transportation policy positions of all the leading mayoral candidates: George Smitherman: Light rail and subway to the suburbs Cost: $5-billion in debt financing Subways: Expedite planned extension of Spadina subway to York University; extend the Sheppard subway to Downsview on the Spadina line and extend [...]
$68 Million Already Spent On Plan Ford Would Scrap
The Toronto Sun notes that the transit plan announced by by mayoral candidate Rob Ford earlier this week should include the $68 million spent by the city on the Eglinton LRT, which Ford would shut down: “Work began last fall on the 12-km line connecting Don Mills station on the Sheppard subway to Scarborough Town [...]
Spacing Votes: Sarah Thomson’s TTC
Spacing Votes examines the transit policies of mayoral candidate Sarah Thomsonand her plan for the city’s transportation system: “Thomson has recently released her plans to make Toronto one of the greenest cities in North America and a major portion of her “going green” plan is to expand the subway grid within Toronto. From the beginning, [...]
Spacing Votes: George Smitherman’s TTC
As they have with other candidates, Spacing Votes reviews the transit policies of mayoral candidate George Smitherman: “Funding Approach: Inject some private enterprise money into the system through private-public partnerships. The mayoral candidates of 2010 are shaping up to have very similar ideas for transit as fellow candidates Rob Ford, Rocco Rossi and Sarah Thomson [...]
Avoid Fare Payment Plan: Rossi
Mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi warned potential open fare bidders to avoid signing a contract that may be worthless after the next election: “My advice to bidders? Walk away. Do not bid. Do not sign,” Rossi said in a press release. “Do not get involved in this political power play by a lame duck board. It [...]
Mayoral Candidates Differ On Need For Presto Pay System On TTC
After mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi announced his intention to push forward with integrating the Presto smart card despite the TTC’s recent announcement it would move towards an open-fare system, opponents offered their views: “George Smitherman, a mayoral candidate who had also pledged to convert the TTC to Presto by 2014, said the announcement by Giambrone [...]
Rossi Pledges To Adopt ‘Presto’ Smart Card On TTC
As part of a plan to overhaul the transit fare system, mayoral candidate Rocco Rossi has pledged to adopt the highly anticipated Presto smart card system at the TTC: “Mr. Rossi pledged Tuesday to sign on completely to the Presto system, which is currently available on several GO Transit lines and TTC subway stations. The [...]
Spacing: Joe Pantalone’s TTC
As part of their review of the pledges of mayoral candidates, Spacing Votes gives a detailed rundown of Joe Pantalone’s transit platform: SUMMARY: Pantalone’s Current Transit Platform Funding Approach: A common thread found within the candidates’ platforms—at this point of the campaign—is the lack of policy specifics. Pantalone has stated that, as mayor, he will [...]
Neighbourhood Uproar Over Second Exits For Subways Becomes Mayoral Issue
Mayoral Candidate George Smitherman and Ward 29 candidate Jane Pitfield held a press conference to express concern over the TTC’s “second exit project”, which would appropriate property to build a second exit at the Greenwood subway station: “Residents on Strathmore Blvd., which is one street north of Danforth Ave., learned by letter on June 17 [...]
The Goods: Ford Advisor’s Opinions On TTC, Media, All His Own
The Toronto Star’s Goods checks out the blog of Rob Ford’s policy advisor Mark Towhey, who offers his thoughts on the TTC, transit and even the media: “Towhey’s blog entry on the subject of transit suggests the city simply stop funding the TTC and give the billions it spends back to taxpayers. This, he expects, will [...]
Gurney: Candidates’ Plans Not Bold Enough To Fix Traffic Woes
The National Post’s Matt Gurney looks at the transit policy proposals from each of the mayoral candidates and is left wanting: “As the date for Toronto’s next mayoral election comes close, the competing candidates will soon need to move beyond the posturing and begin to deliver detailed, costed-out plans. But it’s all window dressing, a [...]
