Ontario still on board with $1.5B for Scarborough transit

Torontosun.com
Jan. 21, 2016
BY Antonella Artuso

Ontario says it is still ponying up cash for transit in Scarborough.

But while Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca said the province remains committed to providing almost $1.5 billion for the project, he still has to study Mayor John Tory’s new plan.

“We look forward to reviewing more details of the city’s transit plan for Scarborough,” Del Duca said in a statement Thursday. “We will continue to work closely with the city ... in addition, Metrolinx continues to work with the city on the implementation of SmartTrack in relation to the GO Regional Express Rail program.”

The minister’s statement did not criticize the changes made to the Scarborough subway plan.

“What Torontonians and all GTHA residents want is for governments to get shovels in the ground and deliver more transit service as soon as possible,” he said.

Although the Liberal government was no fan of the initial proposal to build a Scarborough subway, it switched tracks during a 2013 byelection and climbed aboard the plan.

All Scarborough Liberal MPPs came out in favour of a subway, but there was generally silence from the group Thursday as the details emerged of a new subway plan with fewer stations and an LRT.