City
Will the Sheppard subway line actually be built?
It's been a few weeks since I've done a Friday poll, and since there's been some discussion of the recent Forum Research numbers (PDF) regarding road tolls, separated bike lanes and other municipal affairs, perhaps it'll be fun to respond by conducting one of our oh-so-unscientific surveys. Without getting into to all the various topics covered by the original poll, here are few highlights to do with what you will (remember, Forum Research is the same company that brought us this flawed document).
- 57% of respondents believe that Rob Ford is doing a good job as mayor (down slightly from the poll linked to above)
- 72% of respondents support the installment of separated bike lanes in Toronto
- 57% of respondents oppose cutting the number of officers to help freeze property taxes
- 52% of respondents support the five cent plastic bag fee
- 65% of respondents don't support the idea of road tolls to fund the Sheppard Subway Line
There's a lot one could say about all of these stats, but for today I'm most interested in the last one: road tolls and Sheppard subway funding. One will recall that Gordon Chong, who was selected by Ford to determine funding strategies for line, argued earlier this week that tolls could provide a much-needed revenue source for the project. That suggestion (and it really was just that, rather than a full-blown proposal), was immediately shot down by the mayor and TTC Chair Karen Stintz.
So, today's poll is straightforward. Given the reticence to discuss a strategy like this one and the current funding situation in general, do you think the Sheppard Subway Line is destined to be built in the next — oh, I don't know — 25 years?
Photo by MrDanMofo in the blogTO Flickr pool.
Discussion
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Had there not been a Pan-Am games facility (and a major one at that being the aquatics center) in the middle of Scarborough I would've voted no.
That's about 8 years. Sorry Les..no dice for the Pan-Am games.
And a subway to STC won't even get us to UTSC for the aquatic venue. However, the funded Sheppard LRT (with a quick turn down to UTSC, which probably would have come as an election promise for $100M) would have gotten us there ...right at the front door of the venue!
No NO NoNONONONONONONONONONOOOOO!
Bring back Transit City
The ones who voted for subways, who think it's as simple as just digging into the ground, were foolish enough to think that all Ford had to do was snap his fingers.
In principle, I support road tolls or congestion fees to fund public transit expansion, but not to build a money-losing subway on Sheppard, where surface rail would do the trick.
We should be building Transit City right now, and when people come around to the idea, tolls/congestion fees could be used to fund a Downtown Relief Line.
Thanks for the poll, but I'd really like to see a respected old-school media organization (The Star, for example?) commission a reliable, unbiased survey that would gauge public opinion on the funded lines of Transit City vs. fully underground Eglinton LRT + Sheppard Subway + tolls + vs. fully underground Eglinton only. Realistically, those are the only three options right now. If, as I suspect, Torontonians strongly favour the first option, then perhaps Council might find the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the mayor and save the plan. I still don't understand how Ford purports to have killed Transit City without a single vote in Council on the issue, but maybe that's a question that could be explored in the wake of such a survey.
My $0.02 anyway!
Cheers!
I've nearly exhausted myself talking about Rob Ford's transit "plan", and I still come across people who seem to honestly feel that it's as simple as just digging a hole. The Spadina extension is a disgraceful bit of political pork (and not Ford's fault at all). The cancellation of Transit City has set Toronto back AT LEAST 10 years, and I think that's being generous. Who knows how long it will be until the poor saps stuck riding the Finch bus (but who also voted for Ford) get some help, or when commuters at Yonge/Bloor can stop being herded onto trains during rush hour like cattle. It hasn't been a great 15 years or so for Transit in this city. The two biggest projects (Sheppard line and Spadina extension) were largely unnecessary, and a workable plan which would have helped tens of thousands of people got canceled, and replaced by the silly pipe dream of a red-faced man-child.
I suspect that 4 years from now we'll be having the same conversation, and then again in 8 and 12...
...It would almost be funny if it weren't so bloody depressing.
This would make the Minto Towers battle look like a fence dispute. Which is funny, because TTC Chair Karen Stintz became councillor after widespread opposition to the former councillor's support for the Minto Towers.
There are many things in this city that were supposed to be built but never were.
St. Clair at 2am is still stop and go with all the lights.