New transit plan gains councillor support

A new transit plan championed by TTC chair Karen Stintz is gaining the support of a group of non-partisan councillors at city hall this week.

The new plan calls for keeping a portion of the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown aboveground, which would save $1.5 billion to $2 billion in tunneling costs — money that could be redirected to Mayor Rob Ford’s Sheppard subway extension project and for new dedicated bus lanes on Finch, Coun. Josh Matlow told CityNews.

“The plan that Stintz is championing is the most fiscally conservative, responsible plan,” Matlow told CityNews.

Other councillors who support the plan include John Parker, Maria Augimeri, Joe Mihevc and Josh Colle, he said.

Colle said, “The chair has come up with a pragmatic, practical plan that should make most people happy.”

The Eglinton rapid transit line, which will go across the south end of Colle’s ward and through Matlow’s ward, is being funded by the Ontario government, and will stretch 19 kilometres from Jane/Black Creek Drive to Kennedy when completed in 2020. The remaining six kilometres will be partially elevated from Kennedy to the Scarborough City Centre.

Last March, the province agreed to pay $8.2 billion to build the Eglinton line, while the Sheppard subway extension would be privately funded. But in August, Ford went to Queen’s Park and asked the premier for help funding the extension amid reports there was little interest from the private sector for the $4.7 billion project that would extend to the Scarborough Town Centre.

The mayor has said in the past that he prefers all rapid transit to go underground, Matlow said, but he said Ford can no longer make unilateral statements and assume that he has the votes.

“He needs to recognize that there will have to be reasonable compromise,” Matlow said.

Ford hasn’t publicly commented on the new plan, but Stintz told CityNews that there is broad consensus on council, and that “we’re working with the mayor to make a commitment to get Sheppard built,” and that options are being explored including not tunneling a portion of the Eglinton line.

“We’re still working through some details,” she said.

Stintz said she didn’t know when a formal plan would be introduced in council, but Matlow said it could be in the next few months.

“We’re moving forward and it’s going to happen. The mayor could lead us or miss the train,” he said. “I hope the mayor chooses to be a part of that.”