Public Transit gets 3.2 billion from gov't

[Martinsizon]

$697M seals subway deal
Harper and McGuinty to announce federal funding next week for long-awaited extension of Spadina line into York Region

Mar 03, 2007 04:40 AM
Bruce Campion-Smith
OTTAWA BUREAU

OTTAWA–The final piece of the puzzle is in place to build the first-ever subway line beyond the border of Toronto into York Region, with a stop at York University, the Star has learned.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty will announce next week that the federal government will pump $697 million into the plan to extend the Spadina subway from Downsview station. The province and the municipalities of Toronto and York have already committed money.

As well, the federal government will announce funding for:



A Mississauga transitway, a bus-only road along Highway 403 and Eastgate Parkway from Burnhamthorpe Rd. to Eglinton Ave. E.




Brampton's $280-million Acceleride project, meant to speed bus service. Ontario has already committed $95 million for the improvements.




An expansion of York Region's Viva bus system. York Region officials want to get buses on to dedicated lanes.




The widening of Highway 7, in the amount of $55 million.




An environmental assessment to extend Highway 407 eastward to link up with Highway 401. This would go through federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's Whitby-Oshawa riding.




A $5 million study of rapid transit in Durham.


The announcement comes with both the federal and provincial governments attempting to prove they are serious about protecting the environment. More public transit means fewer cars on the road and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

It comes with the possibility of a federal election this spring, and winning Ontario seats is a must for Harper to win a majority government. On March 19, the federal budget will likely have a lot of goodies for Quebec, and the Tories wanted to make a big splash in advance in Ontario.

McGuinty faces re-election Oct. 10.

Once contributions from Ontario and the various municipalities are factored in, the projects represent a $3.2-billion investment to help GTA commuters get around.

In December, Flaherty declared, "public transit generally is significant ... and environmentally important."

At the heart of the announcement is the $2-billion extension of the TTC's University-Spadina subway line to York University and into York Region to help cope with population growth north of Toronto.

About six kilometres of the 8.6-kilometre line will be in Toronto. A "preferred alignment" on the TTC website shows stations at Sheppard West, Finch West, York University, Steeles West in Toronto and Highway 407 and Vaughan Centre in York Region.

There has been a demand for years to make York University more accessible for its 65,000 students and staff.

The provincial government has already set aside $670 million for its one-third share of the huge project. Toronto and York Region last September set aside long-standing differences and agreed on a deal to split their $670-million share of construction work.

Despite active lobbying by the province and municipal officials, the federal contribution has been the hold-up, until now.

Now, thanks to this announcement, workers could break ground as early as this summer on the 8.6-kilometre extension from Downsview station, through the York campus and across Steeles Ave. to the Vaughan town centre.

The negotiations around the subway funding date back months with Flaherty and his Ontario counterpart, Greg Sorbara, frequently discussing the province's demand for additional transit cash. The extension goes through Sorbara's Vaughan-King-Aurora riding.

"We're going to move ahead on that project and I believe that at the right time the federal government will be a partner. There is a huge political risk for them if they're not," Sorbara said after one of their meetings last December. Speculation has been rampant for weeks that an announcement was near but it was only on Thursday that the federal cabinet gave the green light for the spending, sources say.

News of the announcement comes as big city mayors, including Toronto Mayor David Miller, gather in Montreal tomorrow and Monday to discuss plans for a national transit strategy.

With files from Allan Woods

[DrT]

Glad to see it.
I know many here oppose subways as the most expensive form of public transport (as evidenced by the Stop the subway extention thread), but, every dollar invested in transport infrastructure is a huge plus for the future of this city.

[b13]

YES! Finally the feds are getting involved! Now only if we could get that Gardiner removed!

[KGB]

Flaherty declared, "public transit generally is significant ... and environmentally important."

Yea...DUH. Welcome to the 21st century Jimmy. I love the way he reluctantly admits to it being "generally" significant...like it's only "sorta" signigicant to some people (not him though...more of a pain in the ass).





KGB

[You are to blame]

Originally Posted by DrT

Glad to see it.
I know many here oppose subways as the most expensive form of public transport (as evidenced by the Stop the subway extention thread), but, every dollar invested in transport infrastructure is a huge plus for the future of this city.

What city are you talking about? All the announcements seem to only benefit the 905 region and not Toronto.

[mariokarter]

Originally Posted by You are to blame

What city are you talking about? All the announcements seem to only benefit the 905 region and not Toronto.

ya I got that feeling to...

[b13]

yes but Toronto still gets the 2 billion for the subway expansion and they are still trying to figure out a national transit stratergy!

[jeicow]

Originally Posted by You are to blame

What city are you talking about? All the announcements seem to only benefit the 905 region and not Toronto.

When will people realize that the GTA operates as one and any step in improving transit benefits everyone? I still don't get how many 416ers still have the superiority complex that having a different area code means they're living on a friggin' different planet (much of the reason for the Canada Hates TO thoughts)

[ditto]

What city are you talking about? All the announcements seem to only benefit the 905 region and not Toronto

it appears a significant length of the subway will lie within Toronto's boundaries. Any extention of the subway into the GTA is beneficial since it will reduce traffic congestion within the city limits and public transit trip times.

[Sen]

3.2 billion wasted...I just dont understand out of all possible expansions how York extension was made a priority.

[ditto]

I don't believe it's wasteful because traffic congestion on the whole is a regional problem.

It's simply a response to a growing suburban region and to ensure that inter-regional transit systems are developed because traffic congestion is not one-directional anymore (Suburbs-->downtown)

[kettal]

Originally Posted by jeicow

When will people realize that the GTA operates as one and any step in improving transit benefits everyone? I still don't get how many 416ers still have the superiority complex that having a different area code means they're living on a friggin' different planet (much of the reason for the Canada Hates TO thoughts)

I'm going to make a bit of a generalization here: People choose to locate themselves in the 905 specifically because they want a car oriented life. Not always true, I know, but most of the time it is true.

Go take a look at Woodbridge. People who live there are unlikely to travel in anything less than an SUV. If they were at all interested in transit, they would not live in a subdivision.

I think Viva is a good investment. The subway to Wal-Mart, however is trying to cannibalize GO and is nothing but a porkbarrel.

[kettal]

Sorry, double post.

[sl64]

"
I'm going to make a bit of a generalization here: People choose to locate themselves in the 905 specifically because they want a car oriented life. Not always true, I know, but most of the time it is true."

Well, this is jumping the gun a bit I think. How can they be expected to use transit when they have none? Making a blanket statement like "suburb X is car-oriented, what's the point of extending PT there" overlooks the fact that a) up to now they really haven't had many valid PT options, and b) their area will become increasingly more integrated within the city as time passes. And, like the poster above mentioned, with our massive and ever-growing suburbs, traffic congestion is no longer a one-way proposition. Many people who live in the city, for example, take the TTC to York, or to jobs in the 905. Try catching a bus to York during rush hour and you'll see how woefully inadequate the current PT up there is.

Hey, I'd love to see this money spent on a network of ROW LRTs. But I think we shouldn't let our desire for better PT options in the city core make us oblivious to the fact that the city is growing all the time. Wasn't the Bloor subway considered too far north by many when it was proposed?

I'm also a strong proponent of the "let's just get something built, anything will do for now" school of thought. Frankly, nothing leads me to believe that this money would have been made available to the TTC if it wasn't expanding into the 905. So be it, I'd rather have a subway built in the 905 than nothing at all. Our main goal, anyways, should be to create a political environment where spending on PT is seen as normal and necessary, and any spending helps in that regard.

[Epi]

Originally Posted by kettal

I'm going to make a bit of a generalization here: People choose to locate themselves in the 905 specifically because they want a car oriented life. Not always true, I know, but most of the time it is true.

Er... you have it completely wrong. People live in the surburbs because they want their own fully detached house, and there's only so many to go around.
Why do people want a fully detached house and live in the suburbs? More privacy, less crime, more quiet, and generally perceived to be better places to raise a family than a downtown condo. Not only that, but a house in the surburbs is 1/2 the price of a house within the city, and 2-3x bigger than an condo/apartment in the city of comparable value.

The car is a side effect of this. I don't think people move into the surburbs because they really like driving and they think living in the city means they can't drive anymore.

[salvius]

Well, this is carefully calculated to appeal to GTA suburban voters... and the timing too is no surprise: Harper is trying hard to court the suburban vote in the region. This subway is largely useless to non-York U students and will do little for the urban fabric of Toronto... Overall, it's disappointing that this project is going through.

I can see some rationale for it, but considering the many areas of the core that remain improperly served, I don't think we should be focusing on building this project.

[phunky]

Great news for the people who will be using this service.

As far as the subway extension, it still bothers me that it's going to York region. It should have came into Mississauga along Dundas or something. Oh well!

[Tuscani01]

Its about time! This announcement DEFINATELY deserves a

[Sen]

Originally Posted by salvius

Well, this is carefully calculated to appeal to GTA suburban voters... and the timing too is no surprise: Harper is trying hard to court the suburban vote in the region. This subway is largely useless to non-York U students and will do little for the urban fabric of Toronto... Overall, it's disappointing that this project is going through.

I can see some rationale for it, but considering the many areas of the core that remain improperly served, I don't think we should be focusing on building this project.

most York U students do not commute to York U from downtown. They either come from other parts of 905 or northern part of the city.
A Finch subway line, as ridiculous as it may sound, is better proposal than this one.
It is even useless to York U students.

[kettal]

Originally Posted by Epi

Er... you have it completely wrong. People live in the surburbs because they want their own fully detached house, and there's only so many to go around.
Why do people want a fully detached house and live in the suburbs? More privacy, less crime, more quiet, and generally perceived to be better places to raise a family than a downtown condo. Not only that, but a house in the surburbs is 1/2 the price of a house within the city, and 2-3x bigger than an condo/apartment in the city of comparable value.

The car is a side effect of this. I don't think people move into the surburbs because they really like driving and they think living in the city means they can't drive anymore.

Do you know what density is? All the factors that make people want to live in a suburb (as you mentioned above) mean lower density. Transit will never ever ever ever be suitable for low density. Low density is built 100% specifically for car use.

Where does it end? Subways to farmland because farmer joe wants to visit the city?

But more to the point, this subway extension is only serving those who work down-town and live in the suburbs. GO already caters to these people. If they were so eager to be urban subway users, they would not be living where they do.

The thinking behind this extension was not "what will best serve the riders," but instead, "what will get us re-elected in the provincial election".