Sign our petition to Keep the TTC Public.Public-private partnerships don't protect the public from cost overruns and delays.
A recent report by Provincial Auditor General, Bonnie Lysyk, shows Ontarians lost $8B in cost overruns on projects that were built using P3s.
Most of the delays to the Spadina Subway Extension: a fatal worksite accident, severe cold weather and delays in provincial funding, were not the fault of TTC project managers. All things considered, the TTC has done remarkably well under the current austerity agenda.
Read Spadina Subway Shakedown, the recent NOW article.
Awarding contracts for subways to a select group of global corporations is not the answer. Building our capacity to oversee big infrastructure projects and making sure the work goes to local contractors who submit quality bids, will do a lot more to "improve project delivery".
Councillor Colle's agenda item EX5.6 :"options for improved project delivery, including a spectrum of procurement strategies known as Alternative Financing and Procurement and/or Public-Private-Partnerships," will be the subject of a report to be presented at the next Executive Committee meeting on April 22nd.
Come out and tell our elected officials to vote against public-private-partnerships once and for all. The Executive Committee meeting is at 9:30 a.m. on April 22nd at City Hall, 100 Queen Street East.
Can't make it to the meeting? Send an email: [email protected] or call 416-392-4666. Make reference to agenda item EX5.6 Scarborough Subway Project Delivery Options.
Read our press release: TTCriders say no to privatization of Scarborough Subway build
Executive Committee Meeting Update - April 22nd, 2015
TTCriders members spoke at the Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday, April 22nd. The report: Scarborough Subway Extension Project Delivery Options was supposed to include ways to build the TTC's capacity to build transit lines publicly, but instead there was a recommendation to pay Infrastructure Ontario $500,000 to do a cost comparison between a publicly delivered subway project and a public-private partnership.
Whenever municipalities get money from the federal government to build infrastructure they have to go through a P3 screening process. The same is true when Ontario builds infrastructure. It has to be assessed by Infrastructure Ontario for Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP), another word for P3.
The Spadina Subway Extension went through the P3 screening process but then Mayor David Miller chose to deliver it publicly, probably because the TTC has been managing infrastructure projects successfully, for the past fifty years. Things are different now. Making sure TTC staff oversee big infrastructure projects is not a priority. In fact, choosing to have Infrastructure Ontario do the P3 screen for the Scarborough Subway, indicates Council is shifting toward public-private partnerships.
However, several crucial decisions haven't been made yet. An analysis of Smart Track's impact on Scarborough Subway ridership won't be available until the Fall. After that, if we decide to go ahead with a subway, the Master Agreement needs to be renegotiated with the province.
The recommendation will go to Council on May 5th but there is really no need to rush, especially if they are unwilling to explore ways to build the TTC's capacity to manage new transit projects.
Sign our petition to Keep the TTC Public.
For more information contact Brenda [email protected]
