Josh Matlow (Ward 12) told the South Eglinton Ratepayers and Residents AGM Tuesday that there are things to like about Doug Ford’s Ontario Line scheme for a downtown relief line. It makes sense, said the Councillor for St. Paul’s, to take the relief line up to Eglinton and build the line in one fell swoop along with the route downtown. Elsewhere, Mr. Matlow was doubtful about the extension of the line out to Ontario Place and of the three-stop arm reaching into Scarborough. This option would add two stations to the infamous City-owned One-Stop Wonder plan. Matlow called Ford’s Scarborough plan “just as crazy” as the City’s. He once again proposed an LRT alternative to a subway that would be built along the Scarborough RT right-of-way and spread into northern Scarborough with multiple stations.
“TRUE CONSERVATIVE”
(Some think the subway option remains alive because of a macho-like demand by residents for the real thing. Ford won four of six Scarborough ridings in June.) A “true conservative” said Matlow would insist on getting as much as he could for the figure of $4 billion often cited as the cost. His six-year-old daughter understood such things. “Whether you love Doug Ford or don’t, whether you love John Tory or not, they cannot continue to advocate or promise plans for transit that are not evidence-based. I’m going to continue to challenge both of them on that,” he said to much applause. In closing, the Councillor offered an interesting glimpse of his transit thinking when he said the City should consider a “bus rapid transit route” for Avenue Rd. and/or elsewhere.
