GenerationW
Senior Member
I see Ford and the TTC as pretty much one and the same. And despite some apparent opposition, Metrolinx basically ended up rubber-stamping whatever Miller & Giambrone wanted for Transit City as far as I remember. What fights did Metrolinx win back then? Only when Queen's Park suddenly reduced funding did Metrolinx have any kind of a direct impact on TC, and that only involved shortening already approved routes.While Sheppard is a priority for Ford, and it was a priority for Miller, I don't really think that it's a priority for Metrolinx. Their main focus is on lines with regional benefit. While it could be argued that Sheppard would be because of the connection to STC, I still think that a connection from the south is much more of a priority. And Metrolinx considers the Eglinton line to be the centrepiece of the 1st phase of the Big Move (connection to Pearson, regional implications, pretty much hits most of the '10 targets' all in 1 line). They're not going to let it die without a fight. Ford can get out of the Sheppard jam by saying "well, I got us a subway on Eglinton" (even though he didn't), so it wouldn't be like he's 100% backing out on his promise. Most of the people in the city probably don't even know that Sheppard is his top priority, they just know that he wants subways. Most voters have the political memory of Goldfish, so come next election, he can say he delivered subways, regardless of what happens on Sheppard (assuming Eglinton gets built).
EDIT: Ford strictly speaking won't have a post-election plan. The plan will be a combination of what Ford wants, what the TTC wants, and what Metrolinx wants. Them each publicizing separate plans is a recipe for a political disaster. Better to compromise behind closed doors, and then present to the public a unified plan.
Does Metrolinx have more say at this time because there are now signed TC contracts that went directly through Metrolinx? Maybe, but I think Ford and the TTC are still the ones pulling the cart.
And again, it can't be stressed enough that there is Federal funding for transit that is specific to Sheppard, and that some of the work is already underway. I believe this means there is no chance that nothing will be built on Sheppard, and since it almost certainly won't be LRT, it can only be one other thing in Ford's universe.