junior43
Active Member
The plus side with this option is that we could piggyback on the project and bury the tracks. And proposing a Gardiner replacement would also undoubtedly attract federal and provincial funding.
I'm guessing you mean bury the DRL tracks? I'd love this solution. Toll the DVP and Gardiner and use a few of the other proposed taxes to fund all infrastructure - subways, roads, LRT's, streetcars. It's got a huge price tag, but this would be something that everyone could support. We get the DRL, Gardiner tunnel, a redone Lakeshore blvd with possible LRT there as well - but considering QQ streetcar is near by, may not be needed - so throw in bike lanes.
It's the only way to make it palatable to the entire city. No matter which way you commute, it's addressed in this proposal.
As to getting fed funding, love them or hate them, Harper and Ford are fishing buddies. If Ford comes out with this proposal, Harper would probably buy in - his election is about 12 months after Ford's possible re-election, and Harper wants more voters in the GTA. Didn't Harper give Montreal a billion dollars for the bridge there a year or two ago? Yes, we'll need much more than 1 billion for the project, but Harper set precedent by doing this for Montreal.
If Chow proposes it, Harper would probably be non-committal until closer to his next election.
In the end, it's probably a pipe dream, the cost would be huge. Off the top of my head, I'd bet it's at least 15 billion.