The Ontario government said Friday it is pushing ahead with the takeover of how, where and at what cost subways will be built in Toronto. It has appointed Michael Lindsay, who has worked on several public infrastructure projects, to head a panel of up to three experts to make recommendations on the building and maintenance of new and existing subway lines, a statement said. The operation of the system will remain with the TTC and revenue from it will continue to flow to the City. “An upload of the subway would help the province to implement a more efficient regional transit system, reduce costs and build transit faster,” the PC government said. “It could also allow the province to fund and deliver additional transit projects sooner.”
ONE-STOP WONDER
The upload idea raises a clear question about the future of the notorious one-stop subway scheme, now estimated to cost $3.5 to $4 billion. The subway was endorsed by the previous Liberal government which had an enormous political vulnerability in Scarborough. The June election erased all Toronto support for the present government. Such freedom from politics both local and provincial plus its absurd cost, might see the one-stop plan changed or eliminated, some think. Ford said during the election campaign he wanted to add two more stops to the one-stop Scarborough subway plan.