Morning Brew: Kathleen Wynne to discuss transit with Ford, zone-based TTC fares, Norm Kelly is skeptical, The Star gets a new look, and a record-breaking January 30
Incoming Premier Kathleen Wynne says transit is a top priority ahead of her first scheduled meeting with mayor Rob Ford. The former Ontario Minister of Transportation has called for new revenue tools in the battle against gridlock in the past and could be a champion for transit expansion in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area. How do you see the Ford-Wynne meeting going down?
Also in transit, a new report says charging TTC users different fares depending on the distance they travel is one of several ways the province could raise enough cash to fund Metrolinx's Big Move, a $50 billion Ontario-wide series of infrastructure projects. Tolls for 400-series highways and parking are also among the ideas floated by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario. Would this scheme unfairly penalize long-distance commuters?
Toronto's contrarian parks and environment chair Norm Kelly, a noted climate change skeptic, is a little torn. During a presentation yesterday about how warmer weather will effect the city, the Scarborough-Agincourt rep repeatedly questioned the accuracy of climate science, calling it an "issue that has yet to be fully understood." Then, just to be safe, he voted in favour of all motions on the $250,000 study. Right...
The Toronto Star is showing off a new-look website this morning. The paper's GTA section has been broken down into "City Hall" and "Crime and Courts" sections and the site as a while has been tweaked to display more content on each page. The Star is planning to implement a paywall in the next few weeks.
Hey TTC - the "N" in the "Dufferin" sign at Dufferin station is upside down and #topoli tweeter @Neville_Park wants it fixed. A hilarious (and decidedly sarcastic) SeeClickFix posting outlines what's at stake, namely a creative exodus due to poor design leading to a post-apocalyptic, stroller-ruled subway system. The horror!
The new George Brown campus on Lake Shore Blvd. E is looking pretty smart, and the Globe and Mail [$] has an interesting profile on the award-winning building which sits over the mouth of a long-lost river and is partly below the level of the lake.
Finally, today is already the warmest Jan. 30 on record in Toronto. Today's high is expected to be around 14 C, almost five degrees above the old record of 9.1 C. Expect rain and an overnight low back in the normal temperature range.
IN BRIEF:
Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Photo: "Pink" by Dominic Bugatto/blogTO Flickr pool.
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