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Toronto Life - The Informer

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Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 22, 2012 | 10:12 am

Staring defeat in the face, Rob Ford does the honorable thing and stalls, stalls, stalls

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Some last-minute stalling by Rob Ford and company yesterday meant council broke for the evening before killing Ford’s subway forever voting on transit for Sheppard Avenue. Despite its anticlimactic end, the day’s 10-plus hours of council hijinks was exciting stuff (enough to set Jonathan Goldsbie bouncing, at least). Raymond Cho questioned Doug Ford’s grasp of the English language, Giorgio Mammoliti promised crazy stunts to block an LRT on Finch, and we witnessed the bizarre spectacle of council’s right-wing begging for new taxes while the centre and left politely declined. Today, this always-exciting, often-embarrassing saga should (finally) reach its dramatic conclusion. Stay tuned. Read the entire live blog [Torontoist] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 21, 2012 | 11:20 am

Rob Ford’s allies go rogue just ahead of the Sheppard transit vote

(Image: Christopher Drost)

As city council heads into the big Sheppard transit vote, we bring you some final evidence that Rob Ford has lost control of his allies on the transit file. Scarborough’s Ron Moeser—whom Ford claimed on Monday was “100 per cent” in the subway camp—sent an email yesterday to his colleagues on council expressing support for an LRT. (Karen Stintz helpfully posted the whole thing on her website.) Meanwhile, members of Ford’s inner circle, including budget chair Mike Del Grande, will submit a proposal to use new taxes or levies to fund the subway at the meeting today, whether or not they have Ford’s backing. Our guess is they don’t—at a pro-subway meeting last night, Ford said, “You’re either with us or against us, there is no in-between.”  Read the entire story [National Post] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 20, 2012 | 1:09 pm

QUOTED: Josh Colle wonders about Rob Ford’s subway funding plans (and gives a thumbs-up to pie charts)

(Image: Christopher Drost)

–Councillor Josh Colle, describing the kind of subway funding information he’d like from Rob Ford before tomorrow’s council vote on Sheppard Avenue transit. If Ford loses (and it looks like he will), he can’t credibly claim that council had unreasonable expectations—on the pro-light rail side we have a panel of experts with numbers and facts, and all Colle wants from the mayor is a measly pie chart. [Toronto Star]

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 20, 2012 | 11:08 am

Rob Ford may not have subway financing plans, but he does have photos of LRT crashes

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Only a day until the meeting that will determine Sheppard Avenue’s transit future, and councillors with crucial swing votes are still asking Rob Ford to clarify financing plans for his darling subway. Centrist Josh Colle said “it’s in the mayor’s court” to outline revenue tools, and Gloria Lindsay Luby, a conservative councillor who might vote with the mayor if Doug would only shut his trap, says she suggested a referendum on increasing property taxes to pay for transit, but hasn’t heard back from the mayor’s office. Apparently, Ford’s camp has been busy with other, more important matters—specifically, handing out out flyers emblazoned with colour pictures of light-rail crashes. Because nothing raises the tenor of a political discussion like disaster porn. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 19, 2012 | 2:12 pm

Rob Ford pledges to block LRT construction—even if council votes for it

(Image: West Annex News)

Fed up with know-it-all panels with their “data” and “facts,” Rob Ford has pledged to block the construction of an LRT on Sheppard Avenue if he loses a crucial council vote on Wednesday (which is looking likely). “If we don’t get the subway…we’re not going to waste people’s money and build an LRT,” Ford said on his radio show yesterday. The sour grapes logic suggests Ford is running out of time and options since experts (and more experts) have nixed his subway plan and council has indicated it supports LRT. We only hope the mayor won’t attempt a Tank Man manoeuvre. Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 16, 2012 | 5:05 pm

QUOTED: Normally conciliatory transit expert Eric Miller takes aim at Rob Ford

When you actually look at the facts, instead of just dismissing everything as hogwash that you don’t agree with, LRT is the best solution in this corridor.

–Eric Miller, University of Toronto transit expert and member of Rob Ford’s most hated transit panel, with an unequivocal boost for light rail on Sheppard and a sideways jab at the mayor. Miller (who in the past has been diplomatic about Ford’s subway scheme) struck out at Ford for calling the group of experts “biased” and recommending that council ignore their findings. Miller went on, “The mayor recognizes that he can’t win this discussion on the basis of the facts, on the merits of the case, ’cause they aren’t there. So the strategy is then to sling mud and to denigrate the work of the panel.” [Metro Morning]

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 16, 2012 | 1:52 pm

Rob Ford’s newest enemy: expert transit panels

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Even after all his AstroTurfing and truth bending (or whatever you want to call this), things look bad for Rob Ford’s subway scheme. The expert transit panel appointed to examine options for Sheppard Avenue will—as expected—urge city council to chose light rail, according to some early reports. The experts gave low scores to the idea of a full subway line on Sheppard, but also to the proposal of a subway-LRT hybrid—which means even a compromise that includes subways is looking more and more unlikely. At a pro-subway demonstration at Sheppard and Victoria Park, Ford gave a version of his usual, mature response to subway obstacles, dismissing the panel as irrelevant and “biased,” though he hadn’t yet seen the report. That’s some sore loser behaviour from a guy who’s had weeks to get on the winning team. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 15, 2012 | 1:10 pm

TTC boss (and clean freak) Andy Byford shows off some shiny new washrooms

(Image: Twitpic, Jonathan Goldsbie)

With all the recent drama at the TTC, the commission may have found a new PR tactic to (briefly) redirect public attention: look, new washrooms! Several media outlets showed up to see TTC chair Karen Stintz and new transit boss Andy Byford unveil Finch station’s gleaming new loos. And they are mighty impressive, boasting Dyson Airblade hand dryers, which, as everyone knows, are the Cadillacs of hand dryers. The new bathrooms are more evidence of Byford’s attention to detail, which makes us think his strategy for the TTC borrows from Broken Windows Theory: take care of the system’s outward appearance, and the rest will look after itself. Well, except for stuff like this. And this. Read the entire story [Torontoist] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 14, 2012 | 5:23 pm

QUOTED: New TTC CEO Andy Byford declares he’ll speak up when necessary (despite what happened to Gary Webster)

Obviously, we all know what happened with my predecessor. That doesn’t spook me. I’m not going to hold back from giving honest advice.

—New TTC CEO Andy Byford on whether the fact that Gary Webster was sacked for supporting LRTs will dissuade him from speaking up about TTC issues. Having taken charge during a politically sensitive time for the commission, Byford has thus far managed to stay out of the LRT-versus-subway battle. When pressed by Metro Morning’s Matt Galloway on how he plans to stay apolitical, he answered, “I’m going to stick to objective advice, straight down the line…It doesn’t matter whether the politicians are left or right, the advice will be the same.” Hold on, isn’t that what Webster tried to do? [Metro Morning]

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 14, 2012 | 12:18 pm

Karen Stintz finds a new way to bug Rob Ford: shut down a subway-focused TTC subsidiary

(Image: Mike Beltzner)

Now that she’s done booting the mayor’s allies off the TTC board, Karen Stintz wants to close a flailing shell corporation created to further Rob Ford’s subway scheme. Last year, Ford and Co. revived an inactive TTC subsidiary, renamed it Toronto Transit Infrastructure Ltd. and quickly burned through the $161,000 it had in the bank on legal fees, research and a salary for Ford’s Sheppard subway guru, Gordon Chong (who hasn’t been paid since July). The corporation had to beg the city to pay for a KPMG analysis it had commissioned and ask the mayor’s office to compensate Chong’s researcher—which made up a sizable chunk of Ford’s total expenses last year. At first glance, Stintz’s plan to kill the TTIL is another sign she’s through playing nice with the mayor. But isn’t she just following Ford’s playbook by thinking like a business owner and getting rid of the waste? Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 13, 2012 | 4:05 pm

Meet Andy Byford, the TTC’s new French-speaking, trash-collecting, mediocrity-busting CEO

(Image: Twitpic, Jonathan Goldsbie)

The TTC has decided to skip the headhunt and just hire interim leader Andy Byford to remain on as CEO (at least until he starts praising LRTs). To mark the occasion, the Globe and Mail’s Marcus Gee explained why Byford will make a capable transit boss: he was quick to respond after a ticket collector was shot at Dupont station; he speaks fluent French; he carries around a plastic bag to pick up litter; and he doesn’t tolerate “mediocrity.” What’s more, Byford is so keen on tracking service disruptions that he carries a pager, because his BlackBerry doesn’t work below ground. Goodness, maybe Rob Ford wasn’t so far off when he suggested Byford was a superhero who turned the TTC around in a day. [Globe and Mail]

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 12, 2012 | 2:29 pm

Karen Stintz gives Rob Ford re-election advice, offsetting rumours that she wants his job

(Image: Mike Beltzner)

TTC chair and reality TV star Karen Stintz may have handed Rob Ford a pair of decisive political defeats, but she continues to maintain she has no plans to steal his job. In a profile in Saturday’s Globe and Mail that contains, among other things, details of her piano lessons and dog-walking regime, Stintz even offers the mayor some re-election advice. Ford can win again, she says, if he sticks closely to his mandate (think barebones fiscal conservatism, not tantrum throwing and subway building). Stintz also manages a near compliment for Ford, saying, “As difficult as these issues have been, I still fully respect the Office of the Mayor.” We’re just wondering if she’d respect it even more if she were in it. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 12, 2012 | 1:02 pm

QUOTED: Stephen Harper mentions he kind of likes subways, Rob Ford hears resounding support

(Image: Πρωθυπουργός της Ελλάδας)

—Prime Minister Stephen Harper himself, cautiously lending a bit of support to Rob Ford’s subway scheme. Harper’s comments really don’t do Ford much good, since it’s lack of funding and council support, not the federal government, standing between the mayor and his transit dreams. But that didn’t stop Ford from trotting out the quote—trimmed of a little fat, natch. The clip aired on Ford’s radio show yesterday, but it was cut off before the pesky bit about the feds not getting involved. Listen to the entire show [Newstalk 1010] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

8 Comments

March 8, 2012 | 5:21 pm

Tim Hudak’s transit grandstanding was a political move—but not a good one

(Image: Ontario Chamber of Commerce)

Tim Hudak’s bit of grandstanding on the Toronto transit file was a political move—and a bad one, it would seem. In today’s Toronto Star, Martin Regg Cohn explains why Hudak’s call for the province to ignore council’s wishes and support Rob Ford’s subway dreams didn’t help the Progressive Conservatives at all. Not only is Hudak’s call for subways hypocritical, since his party cancelled the Eglinton expansion in 1995, but it also contradicts his claim that cities’ wishes should prevail on other issues (like wind farms). Regg Cohn also reiterates that joining forces with Ford didn’t work for the Tories in last fall’s provincial election. So why is Hudak so keen to do it again? Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

Streetcar Named Disaster

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March 7, 2012 | 4:47 pm

Tim Hudak wants the province to step into Toronto’s transit wars (and build subways)

(Image: Ontario Chamber of Commerce)

As if Toronto’s transit planning, with its many hirings, firings and re-hirings, wasn’t slow enough, Tim Hudak tried to throw more sand in the gears yesterday. The urban planning expert Progressive Conservative leader moved for the province to force through Rob Ford’s pet subway project and axe the council-backed light-rail plan. (A hypocritical move, Dalton McGuinty pointed out, considering Hudak was part of the PC government that killed the Eglinton West subway back in 1995.) Hudak’s arguments in favour of subways sounded familiar enough to make us wonder if he’s joining Ford in some early campaigning. If that’s the case, even the motion’s quick defeat doesn’t matter much: according to the Ford handbook, what supporters think you’re trying to do counts more than what you actually accomplish. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

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