Tory backtracks on relief line threat, joins forces with York Region mayors
After threatening to block planning for a Yonge subway extension, mayor pledges to work with York Region to secure provincial transit funding.

thestar.com
By BEN SPURR
May 16, 2017

Mayor John Tory is making the completion of the city’s top transit priority contingent on moving forward with a subway extension outside of Toronto.

In a reversal of a position he staked out just one week ago, the mayor announced Tuesday he was joining forces with politicians north of the city to push for senior government funding to build both the relief line subway and an extension of Line 1 (Yonge-University-Spadina) to Richmond Hill.

Speaking to reporters while flanked by York Region Chair Wayne Emmerson, Richmond Hill Mayor Dave Barrow, and Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Tory said that banding together would strengthen the municipalities’ ability to secure money for both lines, and that work on the projects should move forward in parallel.

Toronto and York Region “are in common cause on our two number one projects,” he said.

“We have two projects that they recognize and I recognize go together, and that really both need funding.”

The remarks represented an about-face for the mayor, who recently suggested the city could hold up planning work for the Yonge North extension unless the provincial government agreed to pay a share of the relief line construction costs.

The relief line would take pressure off of overcrowded Line 1 by linking downtown to the eastern arm of Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth). The TTC considers it’s the city’s most pressing transit priority and projects that if it isn’t built Line 1 will reach capacity by 2031.

At a May 9 press conference Tory said it wasn’t in Toronto’s interests to support the Yonge extension until funding for the relief line had been secured because the extension would add passengers from outside the city to the already crowded subway network.

“The commute for Toronto transit riders won’t get any better with a Yonge St. North subway extension. In fact, extending the Yonge subway north might make that commute worse,” he said.

By threatening to block the Yonge subway extension Tory initially appeared to be exerting one of the few sources of leverage available to the city in its battle for more transit funding from Premier Kathleen Wynne’s government.

The Yonge extension has the backing of provincial Liberals, but because the TTC is in charge of delivering the project the city’s co-operation is necessary for it to go ahead.

Asked about the pivot, Tory said Tuesday that since his press conference last week he had spoken with York Region leaders and decided it would be better to co-operate.

He met with Emmerson, Scarpitti, and Barrow in his office Tuesday morning before the trio spoke at a meeting of his executive committee.

“The Yonge North extension subway is our number one transit priority, and I know the relief line is the city’s number one transit priority. And they’re both vital transit projects and must both proceed together if we are to address congestion in the GTHA,” Emmerson told the committee.

Despite Tory’s earlier comments that the Yonge extension could worsen commutes for Torontonians, he said Tuesday the line might be good for some residents. Two of the planned five stops would be within the city. “So it will help some people inside of Toronto,” he said.

Councillor Josh Matlow (Ward 22, St. Paul’s) slammed Tory’s decision to link the relief line to the Yonge North extension, characterizing it as “a reckless and irresponsible management of our transit priorities.”

“To tie the evidence-based, top transit priority - the relief subway - with an extension to York will most likely and could quite possibly hold up the relief line for years if these two projects aren’t funded,” he said, adding he was “shocked and amazed” by Tory’s announcement.

Asked whether the province would commit to funding the two projects, a spokesperson for Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca said “we have been at the table from the beginning, having contributed $150-million for relief line planning and design work and $55 million for Yonge North.”

The spokesperson said neither subway project was “shovel ready,” and “conversations will continue as these projects move forward.”

The fist phase of the relief line would be about 7.5 kilometres long and is estimated to cost $6.8 billion. It would have eight stops, and connect Pape Station on Line 2 with Queen and Osgoode stations on Line 1 downtown.

The $5.6-billion Yonge North extension would run 7.4 km from Finch station to Richmond Hill Centre. Toronto city council has ruled out paying for the capital costs.

No level of government has committed funding to build either line, although Toronto expects to receive between $4.5 billion and $5 billion through a new federal transit infrastructure fund. Ottawa has said it will pay up to 40 per cent of the cost of new transit projects.

A report approved by the executive committee Tuesday recommended moving ahead with both projects, and endorsing a new alignment for the relief line that would see it run beneath Carlaw Ave. between Gerrard St. and Eastern Ave.