TTC chair Karen Stintz has asked for a special meeting to discuss the future of Toronto's transit system, putting Mayor Rob Ford's vision for a Scarborough subway along with tenure on the Transit Board, in doubt.
Stintz submitted a petition signed by the majority of city councillors requesting a special meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 9:30 a.m., with the intention of reaffirming Transit City – a light rail-based plan shunned by Ford when he was elected mayor in 2010.
The petition, signed by 24 councillors, says the purpose of the meeting is to make a decision on a position for the city's transit future, as requested by the chair of Metrolinx – the province's transportation board.
In a letter to Metrolinx chair Robert Prichard, Stintz said the emergency council meeting was intended to reaffirm the former Transit City plan.
"The plan that was approved by council, the fully-funded plan that was signed off by Metrolinx, is a transit-based plan," Stintz told reporters. "It makes sense from a transit perspective, it serves the most residents in the city and it has the consensus approval of both Metrolinx and the TTC."
Metrolinx had requested clarification on Toronto's transit strategy after support waned for Ford's subway plan and a collection of councillors including Stintz began pushing for more of the line to run above ground.
Ford's authority to abandon Transit City was called into question last week when Coun. Joe Mihevc released a legal report which found the mayor could not legally change the plan without support from a council vote.
The Transit City plan, originally approved in 2009, would see light rail lines built along Eglinton Avenue, Finch Avenue West and Sheppard Avenue East, while replacing the Scarborough Rapid Transit Line.
Ford's alternative plan would instead see the Eglinton light rail line built underground and the construction of a Sheppard subway line using private funds.
Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday said there was merit in both transit plans, but felt it was more important to plan for the future.
"It is dependent on how far down the track you want to look," he said. "Over the long, long run subways are your best bet because they are underground, they are easier to maintain and they last longer."
During a public appearance on Monday morning, Ford declined to discuss the petition or Toronto's transit future. He has previously refused to consider any plan that did not rely on subways.
Last week, Ford appeared with seven Scarborough councillors to rally support for the Scarborough subway line.
But Coun. Doug Ford told CP24 earlier today that Stintz's reign as chair of the Transit Committee could be in jeopardy after she blindsided the mayor with the report.
"As far as I am concerned the commission has lost faith in Karen Stintz and the mayor and the administration... I'll leave that up to Karen Stintz to see if he feels she can still be the chair of the TTC," Ford said.
And Stintz also seemed resigned to the fact that her days might be numbered on the key committee.
"I think the mayor has it relatively clear that he would like to see a new chair in the position." she said. "I serve at the pleasure of the mayor and the commission."
With a report from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson
