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Things get weird: Rob Ford takes comfort in a midnight ride on the TTC

(Image: Christopher Drost)

After his transit plan was defeated at yesterday’s special council meeting, Rob Ford hopped on the TTC and rode straight into the open arms of his supposed supporters: the good people of Scarborough. According to some late-night tweets from a Ford staffer (who else?), the mayor was riding the Eglinton SRT until 1 a.m., followed by a ride on an Eglinton bus around 2 a.m. We know talking to the people—and occasionally moving their sand—energizes Ford, so perhaps this is his photo-friendly way of licking his wounds (hey, it’s better than pounding back a bottle of Wild Turkey in his undies). Or maybe he’s trying to rally his Scarborough troops while he “forges ahead” with his defeated transit plan—for some reason, there’s already talk of a referendum. Either way, we like the good folks at Reddit’s idea for his next transit trip: a ride on the Finch bus during rush hour. Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

February 9, 2012 | 4:05 pm

1 Comment

Rob Ford doesn’t get his way at council—so he deems the whole proceedings “irrelevant”

After a lengthy special council meeting to debate the city’s overarching transit plan, where Rob Ford and his allies repeatedly and passionately championed the mayor’s “I’m building subways” proposal, Ford declared that the whole meeting was irrelevant. Of course, what the mayor really meant was that he found the final vote—to support a return to a light rail–based, decidedly above-ground transit plan—irrelevant.

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The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

February 8, 2012 | 4:20 pm

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Royson James on the political intrigue and backroom deals in the fight over Toronto transit

Toronto Star columnist Royson James writes the acrimonious transit spat the city is currently embroiled in is a mere squabble compared to a broader backroom plan to “emasculate” and “tame” the TTC. According to James—and his unnamed sources—Metrolinx, Queen’s Park, and the mayor’s office all want to oust TTC manager Gary Webster and to fire TTC chair Karen Stintz for failing to get rid of him (her recent campaign against Rob Ford’s transit proposal certainly couldn’t have helped her cause either). For some of the alleged co-conspirators, the end game is privatizing much of the transit commission, which they view as uncooperative, ineffective and generally impotent. James even offers that Metrolinx secretly prefers putting the Eglinton Crosstown underground, and that the regional agency is actually the one pushing that agenda forward behind the scenes. It seems, as James puts it, “while officials play nice in public, in private the knives come out.” Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

February 7, 2012 | 2:25 pm

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B-I-N-G-O! Seriously, check out this awesome Transit City bingo card

(Image: Matt Elliott)

In their hasty attempts to defend Rob Ford’s transit plan despite mounting opposition, the mayor and his supporters have (rather dogmatically) relied on a trusty set of talking points to do their heavy lifting for them. In a bid to show just how tired Ford and Co.’s anti–Transit City arguments really are—that light rail will be a repeat of the St. Clair streetcar screw-up, that Ford was elected with a mandate to build subways and that Scarborough is getting shafted—city hall blogger Matt Elliott created “Transit City Opposition Bingo” (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like). Tune in to tomorrow’s special council meeting—or just grab the nearest copy of the Toronto Sun—and see how long it takes to win! Read the entire story [Ford for Toronto] »

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

February 7, 2012 | 1:10 pm

3 Comments

Will some councillors vote for Rob Ford’s transit plan at their own ward’s expense?

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Rob Ford will likely endure another public defeat at a special council meeting tomorrow, this time over his beloved Sheppard subway, the Eglinton LRT and the potential return to a transit plan much like supposedly dead-in-the-water Transit City. Of course, it’s not the least bit surprising that Ford is unwilling to make nice with TTC chair Karen Stintz, who’s leading the campaign against Ford’s own transit plan, on this. We know the mayor doesn’t like compromising, even if the alternative is losing a vote at council. What is rather surprising, though, is some councillors appear willing to support Ford’s plan at the expense of the wellbeing of their own wards. As municipal blogger Matt Elliott writes, Vincent Crisanti and Giorgio Mammoliti are poised to stand with the mayor even though that would be tantamount to robbing their constituents of expanded transit. Crisanti sides with Ford on almost every issue, while Mammoliti is big on subways and wants one for Finch Avenue. That means either he’s willing to sacrifice his own ward just to oppose Stintz, he’s uninformed of the financial and logistical considerations involved in building a subway, or Ford has made him a ridiculous offer to maintain his allegiance. Given that we’re talking about Hot Wheels here, we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s all three. Read the entire story [Ford for Toronto] »

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

February 6, 2012 | 12:35 pm

6 Comments

Karen Stintz calls for a special council meeting to kibosh Rob Ford’s transit plan

With the support of 23 fellow councillors, Karen Stintz boldly called for a special council meeting to confirm the city’s memorandum of agreement for light-rail transit on Eglinton, Sheppard and Finch. We’d say this sounds a lot like the resurrection of Transit City—but that name died with the David Miller administration, so we’d better not. Instead, we’ll just say this: Stintz’s petition will likely serve as the nail in the coffin for Rob Ford’s grand plan to bury the Eglinton Crosstown. And really, the mayor has nobody to blame but himself on this one. First, Stintz offered him a compromise, but he declined. Then, Gordon Chong, the man Ford asked to make his subway dreams come true, suggested the city fund the Sheppard extension by instituting road tolls, among other revenue-generating measures, but Doug Ford called those a “tax grab.” Yes, the mayor says he has a mandate to build subways, so building subways is what he’s going to do. But it appears council believes it has a mandate to build light rail, so building light rail is what it—and, more importantly, the city—is going to do. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

(Images: Rob Ford, Christopher Drost; Karen Stintz, Mike Beltzner)

The Informer

Quoted

February 2, 2012 | 12:26 pm

2 Comments

QUOTED: Doug Ford on what city agency could do with a good, um, rectal cleansing

“I believe we need some business folks involved in the TTC. As far as I am concerned the TTC needs a complete enema.”

—Councillor Doug Ford telling the Globe and Mail that four or five unelected citizens could soon be appointed to the commission. The comments come as a Coalition of the Reasonable looks to be rallying to oppose Mayor Rob Ford’s plan to have the entire Eglinton LRT buried. A cynic might say this is the Fords’ attempt to regain some control amid all the dissent, but maybe they just love input from citizens. Or maybe not.

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

January 30, 2012 | 1:05 pm

1 Comment

Rob Ford didn’t have the authority to cancel Transit City (lawyers say so)

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Apparently, it takes more than a mayoral “because I said so” for the city to kill an extensive public transit plan. Rob Ford may have unilaterally declared former Mayor David Miller’s Transit City dead on his first day in office, but Joe Mihevc recently obtained a legal opinion—which was released this morning (Torontoist has the full text)—that contends the mayor had no legal authority to cancel the project in favour of his own plan.

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The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

January 27, 2012 | 4:00 pm

6 Comments

Rob Ford tells Facebook why his transit plan is the one Toronto transit users want

(Image: Christopher Drost)

Presented with a transit plan from TTC chair Karen Stintz that would save $1.5 billion on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, contribute to the Sheppard subway extension and bring some form of rapid transit to underserved Finch Avenue, Rob Ford stubbornly dug his heels in and reiterated his commitment to burying the Eglinton line underground. In a note on his Facebook page, Ford insists his own transit plan is “doable,” and moreover, that it’s the plan that city transit users want (apparently, users want “RAPID” transit and they want it in ALL CAPS). He also says that for “100 years, Toronto’s transit system has been based on a backbone of subways” (not true), and that the Pembina Institute supports his plan (it doesn’t). Of course, although Stintz’s proposal appears to be gaining the support of all the right players, we’re not surprised Ford is refusing to budge. If the budget debate has taught us anything it’s that the mayor will turn down a face-saving compromise, even when that compromise is likely the only thing standing between a political defeat and public embarrassment. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

January 26, 2012 | 3:30 pm

3 Comments

Rob Ford is building subways because that’s what Rob Ford does

While Karen Stintz’s new TTC proposal is gaining support from council’s left, right and centre, Rob Ford’s transit plan is getting support from, well, Rob Ford (also, it can apparently be summed up in just three words: “I’m building subways”). In Stintz’s plan, the Eglinton LRT would be built partially above ground (against the mayor’s wishes), redistributing leftover funds to extend the Sheppard subway and create rapid bus transit on Finch Avenue. In many respects, this looks like as good a compromise as Ford is going to get: it allows him to deliver on his promise of a Sheppard subway extension and serve an underserved area. The Toronto Star’s sources, however, say the mayor doesn’t want to compromise (which, really, isn’t that surprising). Of course, by sticking to his guns, Ford is digging himself into an even deeper hole (transit pun!). Sure, there has been much talk of a new, more conciliatory environment at city hall, but it looks like council might just go in another direction on its own, dragging Ford, kicking and screaming, along for the ride. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

(Images: Rob Ford, Christopher Drost; Yonge-Sheppard subway, gloom)

The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

January 26, 2012 | 10:45 am

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Karen Stintz’s new transit proposal: buses for Finch, a single subway stop for the mayor

Karen Stintz riding the rocket (Image: Mike Beltzner)

Having attracted heaps of attention for saying what everyone is already thinking, Karen Stintz has moved onto phase two of her plan to improve public transit: proposing actual ideas. Under the TTC chair’s new proposal, the Eglinton LRT would run partially above ground, and the money saved would go toward bus transit on Finch and an additional Sheppard subway stop. Under Rob Ford’s rapidly eroding plan, Eglinton, along with billions of dollars, would be completely buried, the private sector would finance a lengthy Sheppard extension and Finch would get, well, nothing.

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The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

January 25, 2012 | 9:45 am

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Karen Stintz picks a fight with council over $5 million in TTC money (and then promptly loses it)

When she’s not busy undermining Rob Ford’s grand transit plan, Karen Stintz has been busy feuding with her fellow councillors over $5 million in TTC funding. Councillors who voted last week to save millions of dollars from the budget axe believe the amount earmarked for the TTC should be used to stave off service cuts; Stintz, on the other hand, believes the money should go toward paying for new vehicles and Wheel-Trans service for dialysis patients. So, in order to force Stintz’s hand, Gloria Lindsay-Luby, who supported saving bus routes, sought a legal opinion, and the city solicitor said that, yes, the extra cash should go toward preventing service reductions. Now, apparently looking to compromise (it’s a theme at city hall this week), Stintz says all the money will go toward the Wheel-Trans service. Though, if she loses this battle and wins the other she’s currently fighting, we figure all will be right in the world. Read the entire story [Toronto Star] »

The Informer

Political Whoas

January 23, 2012 | 12:55 pm

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Karen Stintz breaks rank with Rob Ford over the Eglinton Crosstown plan

We all know Rob Ford loves him some rapid transit—he just doesn’t love it when it’s above ground, affordable or tied in any way to his predecessor. Case in point: the Eglinton Crosstown, which Ford insists should include an LRT line built entirely underground, even if that means burning through cash that could be used for other projects (namely, his beloved Sheppard subway extension). Now, even Ford ally and TTC chair Karen Stintz is adding her voice to the growing group of reasonable people who think that running the LRT above ground, particularly in the city’s less densely populated suburbs, makes more sense than burying it. It’s a bold move from Stintz and a major break with the mayor, who appointed her to her current post. Some have even speculated that it may just get her summarily reshuffled out of the transit chair. Read the entire story [Globe and Mail] »

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The Informer

Streetcar Named Disaster

January 20, 2012 | 5:45 pm

1 Comment

Karen Stintz kills council’s buzz with her plans for the saved transit cash

By our count, the dizzying thrill of victory for council’s lefties and centrists lasted less than 24 hours. TTC chair—and big-time buzz kill—Karen Stintz says the $5 million in Josh Colle’s omnibus motion will likely go toward things like Wheel-Trans service, rather than staving off service cuts (as it was intended). Stintz says she can’t commit dollars to retaining bus service since Colle’s motion relies on surplus money; in other words, the TTC can’t count on that funding next year, so it’s best not to use it this year. Stintz, along with Ford and the mayor’s other supporters on council, considers surplus money to be one-time cash, and it’s the TTC board, not council, that has the final say on how the money is spent. Read the entire story [Torontoist] »

The Informer

Urban Diplomat

January 19, 2012 | 4:17 pm

7 Comments

Dear Urban Diplomat: do people have the right to eat a meal on the streetcar?

(Image: rob_rob2001)

Dear Urban Diplomat,
I get queasy easily, and I can’t stand it when people eat food on the streetcar. I’ve seen passengers wolfing down Big Macs (there are several McDonald’s outposts on my 501 route) and sucking back pad Thai—I even saw a guy devour a half-rack of ribs. I’ve had to get off a few times because I’ve been on the verge of vomiting. Do I have a right to demand they keep their food wrapped up?
—My Name Is Hurl, PARKDALE

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