Ontario’s Transportation Minister is open to discussions about building a subway rather than light-rail transit in Scarborough, but said “it will be a short conversation” if Mayor Rob Ford and Toronto city council don’t put forward a viable plan.
Glen Murray denied a published report Thursday morning that he was already in negotiations with the city on a Scarborough subway. A report in the Globe and Mail suggested that the Ontario government and the city “are moving closer to a deal to build a subway extension in Scarborough,” and cancel the already approved LRT project. The report suggested that staff in Premier Kathleen Wynne’s office have been meeting with Ford aides about a potential deal, which “could come as soon as next week.”
When asked about the report at a Thursday-morning news conference to kick off construction of the new rail line between Union Station and Pearson Airport, Murray said: “We are not negotiating a deal with the City of Toronto on this.”
Ford has made no secret of his desire to build a subway in Scarborough. Murray conceded that if Ford and Toronto City Council come to him with a subway plan that clearly addresses zoning issues and contains an economic development plan, he is prepared to consider the idea.
“We’re on track to do LRT. If you’re asking am I ready to drop everything and say, ‘OK, yeah, we’re just going to do a subway,’ no,” Murray said.
“We work in partnership with the city, we need to see a lot more work done. This isn’t just passing a motion at council and saying we’ve changed our mind like we’ve changed our socks. We need something very specific now and we need to get that.”
Murray said if a subway proposal is “substantial, then we’ll look at it. If there isn’t, then it will be a short conversation.”
He also said that any decision on moving forward with a subway and scrapping the LRT plan “will not be made at city hall, it will be made at Queen’s Park.”
Murray said he will await word from city council after its meeting on July 16, after which he will consider any proposal councillors and the mayor put forward.
Murray also said that if Ford is determined to have a subway built in Scarborough, he must help the province secure funding from the federal government.
“We need at least from the mayor a commitment with some enthusiasm for him to talk to his friend (Federal Finance Minister) Jim Flaherty about opening up the federal chequebook because this is completely unacceptable.”
Toronto Transit Commission Chair Coun. Karen Stintz responded to Murray’s comments by saying the issue comes down to whether Toronto is willing to pay for subways, “and I believe that we are.”
Stintz said that because the Scarborough subway would be a “new project,” the city could make a strong case for a financial commitment from the federal government.
“The reason that we’re talking about this issue is because there continues to be a great deal of uncertainty about this project,” she said.
If the city can change that, “we will see construction proceed accordingly.”
Stintz said she is prepared to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the mayor to deliver on a commitment to a subway for Scarborough.”
The Progressive Conservatives accused the Liberals of “playing politics” with Scarborough residents because they had initially rejected calls for a subway.
Specifically, PC Transportation Critic Frank Klees suggested that the Liberals were pandering to local voters, who will be casting ballots in a by-election in the riding of Scarborough-Guildwood on Aug. 1.
“The Liberals had ten years to build subways in Scarborough,” Klees said in a statement. “As recently as a few weeks ago, they sent a clear message to the people of Scarborough that they would not be getting a subway. Now, in the midst of a by-election, they’re making empty promises in an attempt to play political games.”
Bruce McCuaig, president and CEO of provincial transit agency Metrolinx, said any change to the Scarborough plan would not affect the rest of the transit and infrastructure projects associated with the “Big Move,” its $50-billion, multi-year transit plan.
McCuaig said at the news conference that more than 200 projects, worth about $16 billion, are currently underway, and the plan is to carry forward with projects such as the Eglinton LRT and the Spadina subway extension.
“Our focus is on delivering those projects, and hopefully we’re going to see clarity in terms of the city’s position on Scarborough so that we can move forward with that project, as well,” McCuaig said.
