Council approves $150M extra for Spadina subway extension


Citynews.ca
March 31, 2015

Toronto city council made a push to get the Spadina subway extension project back on track Tuesday by approving more funding.

Council voted 40-3 in favour of putting an extra $150-million into the subway extension to Vaughan, $90-million of which would come from city funds.

Coun. Anthony Peruzza pushed TTC CEO Andy Byford to confirm the need for extra funding in a project that’s already over budget and behind schedule.

“To complete it, cut the ribbon on this thing and get it going, you’re saying another $150-million will do that?” Peruzza asked.

To which Byford responded “That’s correct.”

TTC chair Josh Colle was on the defensive when it came to placing the blame.

“An effort to point fingers or to have a smoking gun, I don’t think that will be successful because of how much blame there is to share,” Colle said.

Council also agreed to hand over management of the extension to a single engineering firm, without getting any competing bids.

Mayor John Tory said he doesn’t like sole-source contracting, but is making an exception.

“Every day that goes by that these subways are not finished and operating is a day that people don’t have access to a job more easily, don’t have access to just getting to and from home on a daily basis and that is a tragedy.”

The project is scheduled to be completed by December 2017.

Meanwhile, council also approved a motion on Tuesday to move ahead with a staff report and public consultation process looking into expanded gambling at Woodbine Racetrack.

Tory emphasized that this was not a vote on approving gambling, just to study how this could work at woodbine, and in rexdale as a whole.

“Something that can help to renew, to create opportunities, to create jobs in a part of town that deserves our careful examination of every possible option,” he said.

Council asked city staff to include in their report how TTC routes, including the Finch LRT, could be increased around Woodbine.

The racetrack is looking to add to its 3,000 slot machines, and bring in live gaming tables.