A day after council voted in favour of a Scarborough subway, the underground rail plan has already hit a major snag.
On Wednesday, council approved the three-stop extension of the Bloor-Danforth line into the eastern suburb by a vote of 28-16. But councillors also passed a motion making the approval contingent on the provincial government contributing $1.8 billion to the plan. That’s the same amount that Queen’s Park pledged last year to build an LRT line to replace the worn down Scarborough RT.
But on Thursday, Ontario Transportation Minister Glen Murray announced that the province would only give $1.4 billion to the subway.
At a press conference at the Kennedy GO station, the minister trumpeted the contribution, and gave little indication that it fell short of what the city asked for.
“Other governments may like to talk about rapid transit to Scarborough,” he said, “our government is about building it. And we’re not going to stop.”
According to the minister no money is being taken off the table, but roughly $320 million of the original $1.8-billion Scarborough LRT budget was for modifications to Kennedy Station so that it could accomodate light rail. Because the Eglinton LRT will go through Kennedy, the modifications are still necessary.
Murray’s announcement leaves the fate of the subway hanging in the balance. Only last week, subway-boosting Mayor Rob Ford warned that if Queen’s Park provided “a dime less” than $1.8 billion, the underground extension would be “dead.”
On Wednesday, Ford said he was confident the provincial government would come forward with the full amount.
“I truly, truly believe that Toronto can count on the province and the federal government… as partners in this historic project,” he said at a press conference following the subway vote, noting that he had had a positive meeting with Murray on Monday.
As word of Murray’s announcement rippled through City Hall on Thursday, at least one opponent of the subway proposal declared that the Scarborough LRT was back on track.
“Unless the province decides to provide any more funding, then the city will continue on with the LRT plan,” said Councillor Josh Matlow. “That’s what we approved yesterday.”
“This is a lesson that you shouldn’t make announcements before you know if you have the funding.”
TTC chair Karen Stintz, who backed the subway plan, agrees that unless the province changes its mind, the subway is doomed.
“I’m hoping they will reconsider their position. But if their position is $1.4 billion, then there will be no subway,” she said.
Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency, had set an August 2 deadline for council to affirm its support for either an LRT or subway for Scarborough. Stintz says that if the province doesn’t agree by that date to increase its contribution, Metrolinx would proceed with the LRT and the issue would not come back to council.
While Stintz’s comments suggest that the subway project is on the brink of collapse, Mayor Ford was not prepared to admit defeat.
In a written statement released Thursday afternoon he said, “I am very happy to see that the Provincial Government has committed to the Bloor-Danforth Subway Extension. They are at the table and discussion are [sic] ongoing- we are moving in the right direction.”
The statement said the mayor would be meeting with provincial and federal ministers to discuss the subway plan.
“I am fully confident that we can bring all three levels of government together, to deliver this vital project to the residents of Scarborough,” it said.
