Public consultations on transit seen as useless by some
Mistrust and skepticism common as meetings begin regarding four big projects
It should be a moment of unreserved civic optimism, with the public being asked to consider four multi-billiondollar transit projects that could transform the Toronto region’s mobility.
Instead, a pervasive skepticism hangs over this month’s combined public consultations on SmartTrack, GO regional express rail, the relief line and the Scarborough subway.
There’s a sense among some members of the public that government agencies are just going through the motions of consulting, having already decided what they will build and where.
The mistrust is so pervasive, “it’s actually a bit disheartening,” admits Councillor Josh Colle, who chairs the TTC board.
City officials and Metrolinx consult the public all the time about transit plans. What’s remarkable about this month’s round of consultations is not just that the two agencies are working jointly, but that there are four projects on the table at the meetings running through Thursday.
It’s a unique opportunity for residents to see how the projects relate to one another and the overall transportation network, said Tim Laspa, the city’s director of transportation planning.
“It is actually a rare and beneficial moment for us,” he said, adding that consultations are a critical part of the planning process. “It’s the basic premise of what we do as public servants in serving our community,” insisted Laspa.
“I say it at every public meeting, that this project can’t succeed without getting (public) input. The solution is really a solution that is a partnership,” he said.
Others see it differently. Suri Wein- berg-Linsky has been attending public consultations about the rail expansion and other projects in her Weston neighbourhood for a decade. She thinks they’re mostly a sham.
“It gives us opportunity to see what’s happening but honestly, I think they end up doing whatever they want,” she said.
Combining four transit projects into the same meetings “will be an exercise in confusion, frustration and a waste of time,” said Weinberg-Linsky.
Most citizens struggle to comprehend what a single plan means to their community. Combining four projects into one consultation will make that more challenging.
“You cannot bundle projects like these and expect to get cogent or real answers back that have any worth,” she said.
Laspa says he doesn’t hear that kind of cynicism and the information before the public is made deliberately accessible.
“We’re very careful when we go out for any of the rapid transit planning consultations that we keep the information at a level people can understand,” he said.
For the more technically informed “we do have other resource materials and a full team of experts,” he said.
Toronto’s traditional political meddling in the transit planning process probably has a lot to do with the skepticism that simmers in some communities.
The Scarborough subway, for example, had been winnowed down to three potential alignments from a field of nine before this round of public input began. Mayor John Tory’s interest in keeping the subway route from cannibalizing his SmartTrack plan based on adding “surface subway” trains to the GO rails, is considered key in the final selection.
Without shortlisting the choices, however, Laspa says the project couldn’t progress.
“We’re not saying it’s a done deal. We’re saying these are our draft of three shortlisted. Tell us what you think. There is opportunity for change,” he said.
Even Weinberg-Linsky thinks public consultations are opportunities for “a moderate amount” of community influence.
“The proponents often know what will push the buttons and have multiple scenarios and options available but will only present one — often the cheapest and easiest for them,” she said.
But if the community pushes back, sometimes public agencies will pull up an alternative. Weinberg-Linsky thinks that’s how Weston residents managed to get a tunnel to prevent the closure of several neighbourhood streets.
Colle says he’s “mixed” on the value of combining four transit lines into one set of community meetings. Putting them into the context of the other projects is important. But, depending on where you live, you’re probably going to be more interested in one line over another.