Toronto OKs $1.65M to study SmartTrack

Ford questions funding for plan

Toronto’s transit picture became clearer Tuesday as city council approved spending an additional $1.65-million on a feasibility study for Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack rail plan, while voting down an attempt to reopen the Scarborough subway debate.

“We are not again getting engaged in a spin cycle where we spend years just getting to the stage, ‘Do we want to do this or not,’ ” Mr. Tory said in response to questions about the rail plan from former mayor Rob Ford, an opponent of the plan.

Mr. Ford, now a councillor, questioned the funding secured for SmartTrack and asked Mr. Tory if he had informed voters about the construction impact and the full costs.

The debate came to a head when Mr. Tory reminded Mr. Ford of the results of the recent mayoral election. “I’m not taking any lessons here about the right way to do things,” he said. “The fact of the matter is I won the election.”

Mr. Tory’s SmartTrack plan was a major plank of his campaign in the 2014 mayoral race. His proposal is a surface rail line that would have 22 stations stretching from the Airport Corporate Centre in the west, southeast to Union Station and northeast to Markham.

The motion to provide the additional funding for the

I’m not taking any lessons here about the right way to do things

feasibility study eventually passed 42-2, with Councillors Ford and Anthony Perruzza voting against. An initial amount of $700,000 had been allocated for the study, which Mr. Tory said was needed to secure funds from other levels of government.

The enhanced study will include a closer examination of a controversial portion of the line planned along Eglinton West. “For an $8-billion project it would be irresponsible not to engage in some study about different practicalities,” Mr. Tory said.

Also discussed at the council meeting was the proposed Scarborough subway line, with Councillor Josh Matlow submitting five administrative inquiries that threatened to reopen the approved plan.

Mr. Matlow was requesting more information about the costs of cancelling the previously approved light rail transit plan, operating costs for the subway and ridership projections.

Despite a lack of precise details, council voted to continue its support for the subway line.

“We’ve had so many starts and stops, I voted that we should be building something,” said deputy mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong, who voted to shelve the inquiries. “The one thing I don’t think anyone wants is another debate.”