FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE: Residents rally for a transit plan, Ontario Line that works
October 23, 2019 (Toronto, ON) -- An alliance of residents and organizations rallied at City Hall on Wednesday October 23 to express concerns about the tentative transit deal between Premier Ford and Mayor Tory. While transit advocates say that abandoning the subway upload is a positive step, they remain concerned by dozens of unanswered questions about the Ontario Line, neighbourhood concerns, transit funding, and privatization.
“Before City Council approves a deal with Premier Ford, they must guarantee that any new transit lines are built without delay, respect community concerns, and be publicly delivered and owned by the TTC,” said TTCriders director Shelagh Pizey-Allen. “The province must chip in for operations and maintenance funding, so that riders don’t get stuck footing the bill.”
Residents along the Ontario Line route spoke out about their concerns that Metrolinx will not hold meaningful consultations or be accountable to local concerns.
“Metrolinx and the Province need to re-evaluate the proposal to run the Ontario Line above ground through Leslieville and across the Don River into the West Don Lands or Keating Channel Precinct,” said West Don Lands Committee Co-Chair Cynthia Wilkey. “Chasing short term savings by brutalizing these neighbourhoods will impose unacceptable future costs and is not the way to build a transit system that works for everyone.”
Scarborough and Etobiocke residents told the Executive Committee they are disappointed their neighbourhoods are left out of the province’s plans. The Eglinton East LRT and the Waterfront LRT were removed from the province’s transit map. Under provincial Bill 107, the city will need to seek approval from the province to move ahead with any new rapid transit.
“Mayor Tory must protect Scarborough transit users by securing funding for replacement buses after the Scarborough RT closes in 2026,” said Brenda Thompson of Scarborough Transit Action. “The SRT will not last until 2030, when Premier Ford estimates his three-stop subway will be complete.”
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“Metrolinx and the Province need to re-evaluate the proposal to run the Ontario Line above ground through South Riverdale and across the Don River into the West Don Lands or Keating Channel Precinct. Chasing short term savings by brutalizing these neighbourhoods will impose unacceptable future costs and is not the way to build a transit system that works for everyone.”
– Cynthia Wilkey, Co-Chair, West Don Lands Committee
“We support transit development in Toronto. We require the development to be fact based, transparent, with information and communications in a timely manner. Lastly we want meaningful public consultations aimed at resolving outstanding community issues.”
– Pape Avenue Community for Transit (PACT)