News   Jul 30, 2024
Ambitious Residential Proposal Retains Car Dealership at Jane and St Clair
 945     4 
News   Jul 30, 2024
8 Wellesley's Distinctive Slope Emerges as Construction Reaches Crown
 1.6K     4 
News   Jul 30, 2024
News Roundup for July 30, 2024
 652     0 

Finch West Line 6 LRT

denfromoakvillemilton said:
He did say Finch and Sheppard "should be a part of the greater conversation" though.
Click to expand...

Here's a little snippet of that "greater conversation", from the same article:

... he did reveal that if he’s elected, he’ll push Metrolinx and the province to delay the Finch West and Sheppard East LRT projects so he can accelerate work on a Yonge Street Relief Line.
Click to expand...

Obviously things have changed a lot since then. Tory is no longer interested in a Yonge Street Relief Line, but his position on LRT is still the same. So not only are we not getting LRT, but we're also not getting a relief line either. Also, it's funny how the Scarborough subway is not part of that conversation, even though his Smart Track will have significant implications on the need for a subway in the first place.
 
salsa said:
Here's a little snippet of that "greater conversation", from the same article:

Obviously things have changed a lot since then. Tory is no longer interested in a Yonge Street Relief Line, but his position on LRT is still the same. So not only are we not getting LRT, but we're also not getting a relief line either. Also, it's funny how the Scarborough subway is not part of that conversation, even though his Smart Track will have significant implications on the need for a subway in the first place.
Click to expand...

Tory has a habit of flip-flopping so he can get support from both sides, but I'm pretty sure he dislikes LRT. Certainly on the SRT issue he supports the subway option, and repeats the usual arguments from the anti-LRT people like how LRT doesn't last as long as subway, etc. The fact that he wants SmartTrack to run along Eglinton West (even though selling off land makes this no longer possible) suggests he probably would have wanted to change Eglinton to subway if it wasn't too late. As we all know Eglinton east of Brentcliffe has not been tendered yet and won't be tendered until 2015, so who knows? John Tory was in the Bill Davis government back when the SRT change from LRT to ICTS happened. Combined with the opposition of many Liberal MPPs to the Sheppard LRT, the vague statement about "transit solutions" in the Liberal platform, etc., and I find it very hard to believe that Sheppard LRT will get built under Tory, unless city council revolts yet again, but this rarely happens unless you have a really incompetent mayor like Ford.
 
Yes, I take back what I said earlier, I was wrong. Tory probably would cancel or at least delay the Sheppard & Finch LRTs.

Disappointing. That definitely pushes me away from voting for him.
 
andrewpmk said:
The fact that he wants SmartTrack to run along Eglinton West (even though selling off land makes this no longer possible) suggests he probably would have wanted to change Eglinton to subway if it wasn't too late.
Click to expand...

Speaking of Eglinton West, the Smart Track is essentially replacing any future westward extension of the crosstown LRT. That, combined with the absence of Finch and Sheppard on Tory's transit map, demonstrates his bias against LRT.
 
TheTigerMaster said:
Why do Finch and Sheppard need to be part of the greater conversation, unless Mr. Tory wants to interfere in their progress like he does with the DRL ? We already have a funded plan. Quit talking and start building.
Click to expand...

salsa said:
Here's a little snippet of that "greater conversation", from the same article:



Obviously things have changed a lot since then. Tory is no longer interested in a Yonge Street Relief Line, but his position on LRT is still the same. So not only are we not getting LRT, but we're also not getting a relief line either. Also, it's funny how the Scarborough subway is not part of that conversation, even though his Smart Track will have significant implications on the need for a subway in the first place.
Click to expand...

ehlow said:
Yes, I take back what I said earlier, I was wrong. Tory probably would cancel or at least delay the Sheppard & Finch LRTs.

Disappointing. That definitely pushes me away from voting for him.
Click to expand...


Like I said before, this is on the people at this point. Why do they hate LRT so much? Why are streetcars see as a negative to suburbanites?
 
TheTigerMaster said:
Can we agree to implement the plan we already have funded, approved and shovel ready? The time for debate has long past with this two lines. Get building.
Click to expand...

I agree, however I wouldn't mind if it went to a plan that was already planned just not funded.
 
Full disclosure, I like John Tory and I will probably vote for him.

I used to listen to him on Newstalk 1010 all the time. I appreciated his common sense and his stance against the rhetorical, ideological, non-sensical stances held by Mayor McCrackey and others on that side of the political spectrum. On the radio, and for that matter in his work with Civic Action, he advocated for transit modes appropriate for the setting, and that mean LRT when LRT was warranted, subway when that was warranted.

And so this stance against the Finch and Sheppard LRT's is not the John Tory that I liked on the radio, and the John Tory that I was super-excited when I heard he was running for Mayor. This makes me think this is the "John Tory for Mayor", or the "John Tory controlled by his campaign/Nick Kouvalis", and not the Newstalk 1010 John Tory. He has to be against LRT, or at least not support them strongly, because (unfortunately) that's what the prevailing culture is with conservatives in Toronto. Sad, but true. He's saying this to win.

Having said that, the John Tory I know from the radio was also willing to change his stance according to expert opinion and sober after-thought. This makes me think that if he becomes Mayor, the pandering for the anti-LRT vote may be dropped. If council re-affirms their support for the LRT's, which they strongly have supported in the past, I think he will too. If Tory can get Smarttrack/RER with his idea of a revenue tool prioritized, he would accept the LRT's and a down-payment on starting the DRL. Let's not forget, the city has to rally behind some kind of revenue tool that will support the LRT's, Smarttrack/DRL, whatever, to complement the provincial $15B contribution to GTHA transit.

Anyway, my point is, I think we may see a different, more reasonable and compromising Mayor Tory than Candidate Tory that has to speak out against LRT in order to steal Ford voters. I'm not convinced that Tory will stick to everything he is pledging in the campaign -- it's debatable whether this is a good quality (not stubborn, willing to compromise) or not (flip/flopper).
 
Last edited:
pstogios said:
Full disclosure, I like John Tory and I will probably vote for him.

I used to listen to him on Newstalk 1010 all the time. I appreciated his common sense and his stance against the rhetorical, ideological, non-sensical stances held by Mayor McCrackey and others on that side of the political spectrum. On the radio, and for that matter in his work with Civic Action, he advocated for transit modes appropriate for the setting, and that mean LRT when LRT was warranted, subway when that was warranted.

And so this stance against the Finch and Sheppard LRT's is not the John Tory that I liked on the radio, and the John Tory that I was super-excited when I heard he was running for Mayor. This makes me think this is the "John Tory for Mayor", or the "John Tory controlled by his campaign/Nick Kouvalis", and not the Newstalk 1010 John Tory. He has to be against LRT, or at least not support them strongly, because (unfortunately) that's what the prevailing culture is with conservatives in Toronto. Sad, but true. He's saying this to win.

Having said that, the John Tory I know from the radio was also willing to change his stance according to expert opinion and sober after-thought. This makes me think that if he becomes Mayor, the pandering for the anti-LRT vote may be dropped. If council re-affirms their support for the LRT's, which they strongly have supported in the past, I think he will too. If Tory can get Smarttrack/RER with his idea of a revenue tool prioritized, he would accept the LRT's and a down-payment on starting the DRL. Let's not forget, the city has to rally behind some kind of revenue tool that will support the LRT's, Smarttrack/DRL, whatever, to complement the provincial $15B contribution to GTHA transit.

Anyway, my point is, I think we may see a different, more reasonable and compromising Mayor Tory than Candidate Tory that has to speak out against LRT in order to steal Ford voters. I'm not convinced that Tory will stick to everything he is pledging in the campaign -- it's debatable whether this is a good quality (not stubborn, willing to compromise) or not (flip/flopper).
Click to expand...

I too thought similarly
 
pstogios said:
Full disclosure, I like John Tory and I will probably vote for him.

I used to listen to him on Newstalk 1010 all the time. I appreciated his common sense and his stance against the rhetorical, ideological, non-sensical stances held by Mayor McCrackey and others on that side of the political spectrum. On the radio, and for that matter in his work with Civic Action, he advocated for transit modes appropriate for the setting, and that mean LRT when LRT was warranted, subway when that was warranted.

And so this stance against the Finch and Sheppard LRT's is not the John Tory that I liked on the radio, and the John Tory that I was super-excited when I heard he was running for Mayor. This makes me think this is the "John Tory for Mayor", or the "John Tory controlled by his campaign/Nick Kouvalis", and not the Newstalk 1010 John Tory. He has to be against LRT, or at least not support them strongly, because (unfortunately) that's what the prevailing culture is with conservatives in Toronto. Sad, but true. He's saying this to win.

Having said that, the John Tory I know from the radio was also willing to change his stance according to expert opinion and sober after-thought. This makes me think that if he becomes Mayor, the pandering for the anti-LRT vote may be dropped. If council re-affirms their support for the LRT's, which they strongly have supported in the past, I think he will too. If Tory can get Smarttrack/RER with his idea of a revenue tool prioritized, he would accept the LRT's and a down-payment on starting the DRL. Let's not forget, the city has to rally behind some kind of revenue tool that will support the LRT's, Smarttrack/DRL, whatever, to complement the provincial $15B contribution to GTHA transit.

Anyway, my point is, I think we may see a different, more reasonable and compromising Mayor Tory than Candidate Tory that has to speak out against LRT in order to steal Ford voters. I'm not convinced that Tory will stick to everything he is pledging in the campaign -- it's debatable whether this is a good quality (not stubborn, willing to compromise) or not (flip/flopper).
Click to expand...

Very good point. Let's hope that's true if he's elected. Personality & in terms of debate-performance I really like Tory best. He does seem like the type that would consider what staff & studies recommend, unlike Ford.
 
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top