Mayor John Tory's Toronto

[WislaHD]

You're kidding? Developers, who have no interest in what happens, want the Gardiner removed?

In fairness that is not strictly true. They have billions of dollars invested in Toronto, they would not advocate for an option that would fail to meet the infrastructural needs of their business.

 

[animatronic]

You're kidding? Developers, who have no interest in what happens, want the Gardiner removed?

Removing the Gardiner makes the land on either side of the boulevard extremely valuable. That's why the developers care.

 

[otto]

Today the mayor proved yet again that his promise about "making decision based on facts" was a complete lie. Very few people disagree that the demise of the Embarcadero freeway was an extremely positive outcome for the city, but amazingly team hybrid has to throw mud on that too in their attempt to justify their pathetically weak case for pursuing the hybrid. Taking advice from a cab driver instead of city planners is the best they can do at this point. This debate is starting to rival the Scarborough subway for pure bald-faced lying and stubborn ignorance of facts and experts advice.

In other news, another 14 developers and business leaders came out in favour of the boulevard earlier today, who now join the growing chorus of health experts, traffic analysts, city planners, developers, urbanists, and former mayors who are urging for the removal of the Gardiner. Thank you mayor Tory for not listening.

not only was the removal of the embarcadero successful, there is current discussion on taking down another mile of hwy 280.

http://sf.streetsblog.org/2014/02/0...takes-a-serious-look-at-highway-280-teardown/
http://sf.streetsblog.org/2013/09/20/john-norquist-time-to-talk-about-a-freeway-free-san-francisco/

 

[adma]

Though I'll have to offer that the main architectural/planning figure to offer arguments on behalf of the Gardiner, John Van Nostrand. is hardly a roads-rool libertarian nutcase--indeed, you can just as well blame him in part for creative-hipsturbanist fait-accompli Gardiner *love*.

It's not like the Wendell Cox/Joel Kotkin reactionaries have taken over.

 

[salsa]

Actually, I was wrong. The Globe says there's been little to no whipping of the vote for the Gardiner.

I call BS on that.

 

[WislaHD]

My bet's on Burnside.

 

[Armour]

My bet's on Burnside.

Tory probably lured him by promising to have his hair plugs enhanced by Sy Sperling.

 

[picard102]

Removing the Gardiner makes the land on either side of the boulevard extremely valuable. That's why the developers care.

Ya, that was what I was getting at. They only care because they want to throw up new condos, not out of the goodness of their hearts or any other metric than "where can we build some substandard towers for the highest profit". Their opinion on the subject is biased.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I really don't see why this is a big deal. Tory wants the hybrid model because he sees it as the best option for the entire city, not just downtown or urban areas. Council is for the most part disagreeing with him. Council is supreme, and will thus gets its way regardless of what Tory wants. So, if council votes for the hybrid model, then blame council if you don't like it.

As for carding, if our black chief of police says it has merit, I'm willing to listen and consider his reasons. We've all read that its done nothing to contribute to investigations or convictions, so that's a good place to start.

 

[Videodrome]

So, if council votes for the hybrid model, then blame council if you don't like it.

A weak mayor system. Just imagine if Toronto had Doug's preferred strong mayor system.

Some people are declaring Tory finished, which I disagree with. Yes, the honeymoon is over, but he isn't dead weight until 2018.

 

[allabootmatt]

I think one of the things we are observing here is the significantly increased empowerment of Council post-Ford. Miller didn't have a single major defeat until well into his second term. I don't recall when Lastman first experienced one, but imagine it was similar.

But the Ford experience obviously created a solid template for Council to go against the sitting mayor. It's indicative of just how close this is going to be -- and perhaps that Tory's people think they very well may lose -- that they are going to the trouble of leaking to journalists that they may (may!) have wooed one (one!) councillor over to the Hybrid side. For a popular mayor barlely half a year into his first term, it's remarkable to have to scrape for votes like this.

If Tory loses I think it will be fairly dramatic evidence of a new order in Toronto politics that persists beyond the Ford craziness. In this instance, it's having positive effects; the Hybrid is expensive, unnecessary, and detrimental to the city's professed goals for waterfront development. So council will have done its job, acting as a check on mayoral proposals that are wrong for the city.

That said, I suspect on subjects where Tory isn't so dramatically out of step with expert opinion, he will still pass his initiatives easily.

 

[sixrings]

Ya, that was what I was getting at. They only care because they want to throw up new condos, not out of the goodness of their hearts or any other metric than "where can we build some substandard towers for the highest profit". Their opinion on the subject is biased.

There are times when people who may have biased opinions still choose the correct opinion. Besides everyone has a bias. And people with no horse in the race can make bad decisions as well.

 

[sixrings]

That said, I suspect on subjects where Tory isn't so dramatically out of step with expert opinion, he will still pass his initiatives easily.

So what you are saying is that Tory will lose his Scarborough subway and Eglinton West smarttrack tunnel? NICE!!!!!

 

[Cooper]

Tory wants the hybrid model because he sees it as the best option for the entire city, not just downtown or urban areas..

To me, it looks more like JT is trying to build his base in Scarborough for 2018. Eighteen months ago, when he was involved in Civic Action, he was singing a very different tune re the Gardiner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE1IAdiEWZw

 

[evvabeing]

Win for Tory may spell long legal challenge
Backing the mayor's choice to retain highway could lead to squabbling at provincial level 'for a very long time'

http://www.pressreader.com/canada/toronto-star/20150607/281517929736127/TextView