Jane Jacobs must be turning in her grave.
Rocco Rossi unveiled his plan Monday for the Toronto tunnel -- an underground roadway linking Allen Road to the Gardiner Expressway.
Jacobs, a popular urban theorist, was one of many notables who opposed a similar idea when it emerged in the 1960s. Their success marked the moment Toronto became proud of being a city of neighbourhoods, rather than a city full of traffic.
To those of us who live north of Eglinton, the Allen Road has served us well and we're grateful it exists. I know I've wished for it to be extended many times while sitting parked in traffic for 15 minutes waiting to make a left turn where Allen Road ends.
Good for me? Yes. Good for the city? That's the question.
Rossi hasn't said how he plans to pay for the tunnel. I'm guessing toll roads won't be out of the question and neither will higher taxes.
Rossi's campaign seems to have taken a page out of Rob Ford's book with this idea. Ford has managed to become the spokesperson for the Toronto suburbanite who is understandably frustrated at having to pay Toronto taxes while constantly being treated as a second-class citizen to those who live in the downtown core.
Ford wants to extend the subway to Scarborough. Rossi's plan is clearly aimed at appeasing North Yorkers.
Ford has said he won't dismiss Toronto's drivers. Rossi now says he'll help Toronto's drivers get further than ever.
But when it comes to transportation issues in this city, we're so behind that there's no time to use Toronto voters as pawns.
It's up to the voters not to be shortsighted when it comes to these kinds of election promises. Let's pay close attention to Rossi's plan when it comes out and ask ourselves what price we're willing to pay for a little convenience.
Sandie Benitah is a Toronto journalist who has covered municipal politics for the CTV Toronto website and other publications. She is covering the issues of this election for CTV Toronto and CP24's websites.
