GTA subway battle heats up
Torontosun.com
May 10, 2017
By Shawn Jeffords
Given that Toronto is two years away from knowing the cost of a downtown relief subway line, it’s unusual to be asking for the cash already, says Ontario’s transportation minister.
Steven Del Duca shot back at Mayor John Tory Wednesday over the municipal leader’s demands that the province put up cash to pay for the priority transit line.
Early cost estimates for the relief line completed by city staff put the price tag at $6.8 billion.
On Tuesday, Tory threatened to block the northern extension of the Yonge subway - a key project the Liberal government wants to build into the vote-rich York Region - if a downtown relief doesn’t first receive funding.
Del Duca said Wednesday he couldn’t understand why Tory was asking for the money when even city officials don’t know how much the relief line will cost taxpayers.
“I think it’s a pretty essential requirement when you’re going to fund a transit project, or any project, to actually understand what the full costs are,” Del Duca said. “It seems to be a fairly common sense approach to building things.
“When you’re roughly two years away from knowing what a project will cost, I think it’s a little bit unusual to be making specific contribution demands before you know yourself what the project will cost.”
Tory told the Toronto Sun he disagreed with Del Duca’s suggestion the funding request was unusual, insisting the city needs the province’s support to move forward with the relief line.
“I look at this as another day and another doubtful excuse as to why they can’t just say ‘Yes’ to building the relief line,” he said. “It’s just another talking point of the day. I find it very strange.”
Tory said the province’s rejection of city council’s plan to raise transit cash by tolling the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway is one reason he wants a firm funding commitment. Before campaigning for the tolls, Tory was told by Premier Kathleen Wynne that she supported the plan. Then it was spiked.
