TTC Chief Andy Byford On Scarborough LRT Vs. Subway

...or, at least, an LRT running underground:

Andy Byford says that TTC is mindful of changing politics, is doing work on Scarb. transit that could apply to either subway or LRT
— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) April 30, 2014

Byford: "What we're trying to avoid is wasting money. Whether it were an LRT or a subway there's certain things that you'd have to do."
— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) April 30, 2014

So as far as the TTC is concerned, the door is still very much open for a Scarborough LRT.
— Ben Spurr (@BenSpurr) April 30, 2014

So when John Tory claims the current councils decision re a Scarborugh subway line cannot be reversed, TTC's CEO says he's wrong.

Well, I Was Sure Wrong When I Said

...this.  Turns out Metrolinx did take the T.O. City Council vote to cancel the Scarborough LRT seriously. They're basically telling council that they will suspend work on the project until such time as council gets its act together.

Oh, and by the way, T.O gets to eat $85 mil in sunk costs, and if they want to build the SRT replacement as a subway, they'll have to find $300 mil that the province won't give 'em, and almost certainly another $1,000,000,000 that they have been trying unsuccessfully to swindle out of the feds.  Hate to say it, but the city richly deserves this rebuke; they gave us a whole summer of stupid politics.  I suppose come fall, when the free money has most definitely not arrived, their plan will revert back to an LRT and everyone will pick up where they left off.  But what a waste of time and money.

Don Peat got hold of the letter:

Metrolinx's letter to the city announcing the Scarborough LRT has been derailed (as per council's request) http://t.co/MIN84x0wLg #TOpoli
— Don Peat (@reporterdonpeat) August 7, 2013

Toronto City Council Vote To Replace LRT With Subway Was Meaningless

City Council’s recent vote to replace the Scarborough RT with a subway has not affected the [Scarborough LRT] project as yet, says IO spokesperson Paulette den Elzen. She said IO is progressing with building light rail to Scarborough unless they hear otherwise from Metrolinx, “who will meet with the province to discuss next steps.

Yeah, they won't hear otherwise from Metrolinx.  There will be no "next steps".  The last three weeks  have been Kabuki Theater meant to sway the two T.O ridings up for grabs in Thursday's by-election one way or another. That's over now, and whatever commitments (or, more accurately, non-commitments) were made by all three parties in the run-up to it will dissolve like french pastry under the mid-day sun.

They Awoke, And Their Subways Had All Crumbled To Dust

Remember, nobody...not the Feds, not the Hudak Tories, not the Wynne Liberals...promised a penny of the funding required to actually transform the SRT replacement from an LRT to a train running underground...though they all sure did proclaim their love for Subways enough.  And the T.O. city council vote returns everything to the status-quo if other people's money doesn't show up.  So the debate of the last month was sound and fury signifying nothing.  Which is as it should be.  Going door to door in Scarborough-Guildwood, subways didn't seem a top-of-mind issue, possibly because the project doesn't do a thing for most of the riding: any of those stops on its proposed route are still a fifteen minute bus ride away.  And even if you see a Fall electipn on the horizon (which I don't), or a Spring election (maybe), who's to say that the same strategy the various parties used this time out...talk up Subways in principal while putting no actual money on the table...won't work a second time?

Rob Ford On Subways

He made these things up in his head.  Then he repeated them to himself in a loud voice, and became somehow persuaded that they had been told to him by a well-informed stranger, and then he believed them and told them to everybody he met....  A singular man truly, and as I do think the only thoroughly happy person in our city.

-J. Stephens

August 2nd Will Be One Helluva Hangover

As of 27 minutes ago, PCPO candidate Ken Kirupa came out pro-Scarborough subway line.

Send A Message To The Liberals - Scarborough Wants Subways – Ontario PC Party http://t.co/jHfqDEsK0F
— Ken Kirupa (@KenKirupa) July 12, 2013

As of yesterday its become official PCPO policy ahead of the by-election in Scarborough-Guildwood. Now only the NDP is off-side, but watch Mr. Giambrone come around.  I predict within 48 hours. Which is all, frankly, madness for a set of by-elections that will have no practical consequences in the Legislature.  But whatever.  Frank Klees line:

Liberals new push for a Scarborough subway starting to smell like gas plants all over again http://t.co/jYRDbepqDQ #TOpoli #onpoli
— Don Peat (@reporterdonpeat) July 12, 2013

...magically loses traction.  And, come the morning after, everyone involved feels a bit cheapened.

PS. And in the end Scarborough never gets any mass transit worthy of the name.  And maybe Rob Ford wins re-election.  And somewhere a consultant who specializes in mass transit solutions throws his back out doing a happy dance.  He knows he will have work in this town forever.