Scarborough subway debate leaves Toronto councillors frustrated and uncertain

Toronto City Council doesn’t meet for another three weeks. But some councillors, already frustrated by the consuming controversy surrounding the Scarborough transit file, fear the issue will be further clouded rather than resolved by their Oct. 9 meeting.

City manager Joe Pennachetti confirmed Thursday that Toronto has written the federal government asking for $660 million to help fund a subway plan that was conditionally approved by council in July.

He said he and TTC CEO Andy Byford are preparing a report to council in the wake of a surprise announcement by Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray that the province wants to use its $1.48 billion funding commitment to build a different, shorter subway to the Scarborough City Centre.

“There could potentially be options for council’s consideration, depending on what we hear from the federal government and the provincial government,” he said.

That leaves the door open for more stalling, said Councillor Janet Davis. Council approved a $2.3 billion subway plan running under McCowan Rd., on the condition that Ottawa commit by Sept. 30 to help top up the province’s promised $1.48 billion. Without that commitment, council said it would return to its original agreement with the province to replace the faltering SRT with an LRT.

Davis fears that some councillors will continue to hope and wait for Ottawa, even though “I don’t think we are going to see federal money for some time. To wait another year or 18 months … for a subway is just more of the same … more confusion, more delay.”

A provincially funded LRT would serve Scarborough’s transit demands into the future, she said. Federal infrastructure money could be better used for child care, water management and community centres.

Councillor John Parker, who sits on the TTC board, said he’s disappointed the province has put forward a second subway proposal “that has not first been put through the test of feasibility.”

An LRT supporter, he’s waiting to hear from the TTC whether the provincial plan is even viable. Even so, Parker said he doesn’t know if the city has any say, since the province indicated it will move ahead unilaterally on extending the Bloor-Danforth subway to the Scarborough City Centre.

“I don’t know if one level of government can do that, or if anyone has the stomach for a turf battle,” he said.

Councillor Ana Bailao, who switched her support to a subway in July’s council vote, said it’s tough for city councillors to know whom to believe.

“You have all these people who claim to be experts. On top of it, you have politicians playing politics on the most important file in the city,” she said.

One reason she supported the TTC’s subway plan was that the SRT could continue to operate during its construction. The province’s preferred route, along the current SRT corridor, would force those riders to use shuttle buses for three years.

Without a federal funding commitment by the October council meeting, there’s nothing for city councillors to debate, said TTC chair Karen Stintz. She supported the TTC’s subway plan in July but now says she would have to abide by the condition made at the time of the vote, to return to the original LRT agreement if funding for the full plan wasn’t promised.

“Council made a decision on an alignment and the finances, and that’s the only decision council made. Minister Murray is not asking us to approve his alignment or even comment on it, so I’m not sure what it is we would have to approve or not approve,” Stintz said.

Whether council debates subway versus LRT, or subway A versus subway B, it will be heated, predicted Councillor Josh Matlow.

Careers and mayoral ambitions are on the line, he said. It would be scandalous if council decided to wait longer for a funding promise from Ottawa rather than return to the agreement to build an LRT.

“We are playing with people’s lives here, and we’ve got to get real,” he said.

With files from Daniel Dale