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Into the Mist
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Transit expansion for a better Toronto! (Rally/Protest idea)

exactly Doing nothing makes the problem worse. It means that politicians will think that it is ok for transit to be last on a TO DO LIST. We need to voice ourselves as futile as it feels.
 
I think we all are fed up. If anything, though, McGuinty has been open to new (and even controversial) ideas over the years.

The ideal situation would be giving Metrolinx their own revenue collection tools. For obvious reasons, this is not going to happen before the election.

Alternatively, they should be seeking out a private investor to build the lines, and include a multi-year pay back contract. This is what happened on the Canada Line in Vancouver. Yes, it's true that they will ultimately be paying SNC Lavalin 2+ billion dollars over the years, but at least they got the thing built. I say it's worth it,compared to the alternative of getting nothing built.

So, the optimist in me sees them taking the remaining cash, and using it for a down-payment on a private partnership such as that. If you agree with this idea, please spread it, track down the homes of Metrolinx board members or something, and leave it in their mail box? I don't know?
 
This whole issue is just depressing. It's amazing how fast we've gone from having a somewhat bright transit future to having literally nothing. Here's the scorecard:

- Provincial government that is willing to look at transit as the first cut when they need to balance their budget
- Provincial opposition that will, if anything, actively seek to cut transit spending further if they get elected
- Provincial NDP that is still preoccupied with steeltowns and mining communities
- Outgoing mayor who is regarded as a lameduck and a bad fiscal manager
- A crop of mayoral candidates who seem either completely apathetic to transit (Smitherman), actively anti-transit (Rossi, Ford) or well-meaning but not very knowledgeable (Thomson)
- A federal government that wouldn't be too broken up if Toronto sunk into the lake

So what do we do?

I'll find it hard to vote for this Liberal party, but if Toronto collectively pushes toward the NDP we're more likely to end with a PC government because the 905 is stupid-retarded for populist conservatism right now.

Locally, the frontrunner for mayor's platform seems to be nothing more than a blank sheet of paper with "Vote for me" at the top, and with Rossi and Ford on the ticket, he's going to get lefty support just because the right-wing candidates are terrifying.

Federally, we're looking at minority Conservative governments for years unless either the Liberals or the Conservatives really screw up, and Ignatieff is so afraid of pissing off ANYONE that there's no way he's going to risk pandering to Toronto voters because it might scare off the farmers.

So - crap - I don't know. I guess we vote Green and live within walking distance of everything.
 
kettal said:
I don't know what a protest would achieve.

It's more than asking for a cheque to be written, it's becoming very clear that the whole funding style is broken. The original purpose of Metrolinx was that it would be self-sustaining, not living on the Premier-of-the-day's whim. The fact that it is still just a puppet agency is the problem.
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That's the point. A protest/movement would tell the government that transit is important and that we need a real transit agency like Metrolinx and funding for the 40 years now of transit apathy Toronto's and most of the GGH have suffered almost entirely through.
 
Protest is a useful political tool, and I'd be willing to participate, but maybe it's time for more than just rheotoric. Toronto is big enough to have a Toronto-centric political party like the Bloc for Quebec. Just a thought.
 
A 'Toronto Party' would never be able to get votes outside of Toronto. What our province needs is a party focused on urban issues.

I think a protest would be good for dragging out real responses to this cut from our MPPs, though. Glen Murray hasn't said anything today. As a newly elected MPP of one of the most urban ridings in Canada who has a stated passion for cities, how does he justify this cut? He needs to answer that.
 
I had a crazy idea, how about a boycott? Business owners are legally allowed not to give service to customers they don't want to. So we get Bars, Restaurants, Cafes to boycott services to MPP's until they listen to our demands. If they're going to give us the cold shoulder, we can do the same back.
 
I'M IN! i cannot deal with this cirtyzzz LAZYYYY transportation problems! ARGHHH im ready to bite someones head off....
We need new TRANSPORTATION! BIGGER AND BETTER AND FASTER!
CATCH UP TO THE WORLD TORONTO!
(we are so behind because the guvernemnt and politics take advantage of this city and the ppl that live here!)
 
Someone create a facebook event or page or group! if teenagers can change Ontario traffic acts then we surly can advocate for transit!!!!
 
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Since the federal government traditionally doesn't fund local transit (or rarely does), that's a risky proposition, not to mention the rest of the country would have a field day making fun of "big bad sucky Toronto".

A provincial 'Toronto Party' would have a better chance to positively affect transit in the city.
 
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