Morning Brew: Hudak visits to talk subways, councillor charged with impaired driving, Doug Ford defends the mayor's agenda, and city auditor tees off on golf courses

Holy Groundhog Day. I can't believe this is real.

Here are the results of a quick google news search for "streetcar" or "LRT". Seriously - these are actual headlines at this moment:


"Tampa's streetcar system may get funding increase"

"LaHood: Feds to donate millions to Detroit's streetcar project"

"Baltimore should give streetcars another look"

"Streetcars dominate Arlington County Board race"

"Will street car really extend Loop development in St. Louis?"

"Amazon Offers $5.5M to Improve Public Transit Near New Seattle Campus"

"Kansas City streetcar plan ready to take on $18M in grants"

"Anaheim considers Disney-area streetcars"

"Portland Streetcar Expands With East-Side Loop "

"A streetcar corridor in Minneapolis?"

"PSC leaning towards splitting costs on Milwaukee streetcar utilities"

"Tucson streetcar's first-year subsidy projected to be $4 million"

"Council OKs Cincinnati streetcar financing changes"

"Sarasota interested in streetcar system"

"As Dallas prepares for streetcars of the future, construction along Live Oak unearths brief glimpse of tracks of the past."

"Atlanta Streetcar, A Facelift for Boulevard and New Mega Sportsplex"

"LA Streetcar Proponents Hope to Bring Voters Aboard"

"Mesa, Ariz., marks funds for LRT extension"

"Expect gargantuan jump in DART light-rail figures"

"Feds Put Southwest LRT on the Fast Track (Minneapolis)"

"SF Third Street LRT route gets FTA funds"

"Staten Island still seeks (HB)LRT"

"Calgary aldermen endorse future blueprint for northeast LRT line"



Need I go on? I mean, jesus, how dense do you have to be to not realize that Toronto already has what everyone else wants? To think that cities in the 21st century should not be building LRT and streetcar lines? Does Hudak live in a cave? Does he think his potential voters do?

I'm certainly all for the province paying for new subway lines, but attacking streetcars and LRT is just stupid. STUPID! If Hudak had a brain he would say Transit City is a start and if anything should be expanded quicky (and perhaps the existing streetcar system improved with funding for Presto and station rebuilding). He can then say that the city needs more if regional congestion is to be truly tackled -- regional being the province's focus -- and that's where new subway lines like the Downtown Relief Line come in, along with electrified frequent-service GO Trains, BRT out in the burbs, etc. That should be their focus, not telling people, again, that there should be a subway along Finch West or Sheppard East or not correct Ford when he says stuff like "antiquated streetcars".

Sorry for the long post, but I'm apoplectic about this. And I'm moderately conservative!

Well, you see, by having meetings held in public, Ford can keep his enemies (read: the population) at bay, and gives the media less well deserved fuel to use against him.

I can't have this argument anymore...

...Any modern transit system has a variety of different parts. You go underground where geography, density, MONEY and common sense permit, and find the appropriate solution for other corridors.

Rob Ford succeeded in framing the debate in terms of LRT vs. subways, and that's ridiculous. Just because people don't want a money losing line out to low-density suburbs, doesn't mean that there's no demand for subways. Just make sure they go where they're actually needed.

As far as Hudak, he has zero credibility on the issue. He had his chance 17 years ago, and voted instead to fill in a tunnel that had already been dug. He's pandering to the same angry, short-sighted voters that love Ford so much. Luckily, he's so useless that he'll never be Premier, but it infuriates me that he would even bother to throw his 2 cents in given his history with transit in this city, not to mention the fact that he has absolutely no idea what he's talking about.

I'm also sick and tired of having to say this, but here goes: The construction of the St. Clair ROW was a failure from a Project Management point of view, and many of the delays were due to factors outside of the TTC's control. However, since it has been up and running, it has been a great addition to the area. I live nearby, drive on St. Clair and take it regularly. Property values are going up, there's a lot of new development, and the trip from Bathurst to St. Clair station is a breeze. The moron from Welland is merely parroting the lie that the other moron from Etobicoke has been repeating for years now. Luckily, simply repeating something over and over, doesn't make it true.

Don't hold your breath. There doesn't seem to be a slate of particularly solid candidates.

Indeed. Liberals haven't had a solid slate of anything approaching mediocrity in as long as I can remember.

And touting a renewed "Trudeau Fever" is just ridiculous.

You forgot about the part where Hudak neglects to explain how to pay for all these subways he plans to build - or are you just reading the headlines? Read the fine print - he wants subways, but has made no commitment whatsoever in regards to paying for them, and in fact, came right out and said transit expansion is not even on the table unless and until the budget deficit is cleared. That of course, will push his non-specific "commitment" out at least a decade, if at all. No, the only subways he's building are the same ones Ford is claiming to build, with imaginary money.

Rest assured, if this joker gets a hold of things, we'll see a sad repeat of the Harris years, particularly on transit. Remember, he was part of that government that cancelled the Eglinton Subway and reduced Sheppard to the stump that it currently is, all in the name of "cuts". Ask yourself how different transit would be today if those projects had proceeded as planned. Given that he's using the same language Harris did over 15 years ago, why do you trust him to look out of transit in Toronto if elected?

Hudak at this point is willing to say anything he thinks will get him votes in Toronto. He knows if he blows this chance to take power, he's finished as party leader, so he's throwing everyting out there and hoping that something will stick.

All I'm saying is be careful about putting too much stock in Hudak's talk about building subways - you're bound to be disappointed in the end.

Nice try clown.

Where you gonna get that money??

What do we have today?

- LRT vs. subway nonsense, lies, and propaganda from the Reform Party terrorists.
- Councillor does something somewhat stupid, but not nearly as stupid as the several traffic violations committed by Rob Ford... who remains uncharged.
- Ford's spending less time with constituents. I guess the news here is that he actually spends time doing his job.
- The most elitist, exclusionary, inefficient "sport" ever needs a bailout from taxpayers, some of whom can't golf at any course they wish. Fuck you. Let the 1% pay to hit their stupid little balls around a massive park.
- More horseshit about hookah bar licensing. More red tape is just swell for business, ain't it? Really makes me want to open a quick, dirty pop-up!
- And finally, Canadian Content superstars Len and their pile of unlistenable mush that will surely be crammed down our throats.

I think I'd be drunk a lot if I were a member of this current City Council too. I don't condone what Ms. Bailão did by any means, but I can see how dealing with this current administration could lead one to substance abuse.

That's exactly why.

I disagree. Gerard Kennedy is very solid and has none of mcguinty's mess on him. It's just a matter of if he hops in or not

Terrible song... and for such a gratuitous video about Toronto, the lead singer should consider not wearing a Yankees cap through the whole thing...

Dislike Tim Hudak all you want, he will win the next election and carry half of toronto.

Missed the impaired driving part. No, this is worse. Scratch that one off my shit list.