The pro-transit bandwagon is becoming so crowded that it resembles
the Steeles West bus during rush hour. First, local business leaders
launched a sophisticated campaign to express growing frustration
over traffic, housing and other problems, culminating in a postcard
and petition campaign that has garnered hundreds of thousands of
names in a few months. The Toronto Board of Trade and Mayor David
Miller joined forces to lobby the provincial and federal governments
and in turn, Miller has connected with mayors right across the
country in hopes of securing more money for their cities.
While the
“Enough of not Enough” campaign appears to have elicited hopeful
comments from Premier Dalton McGuinty and Prime Minister Paul
Martin, transit riders might wonder what’s taking so long. Thanks to
a glaring provincial deficit and the uncertainty surrounding
Martin’s new government, promises of gas tax and infrastructure
funds haven’t made it down to ground level.
As politicians
in Queen’s Park and Ottawa mull over budgets and media optics, a new
collection of groups intends to turn the heat up another notch --
and tap into the perceived impatience of commuters. The “Public
Transit for the Public Good” coalition brings together the Chinese
Canadian National Council, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving
Immigrants, the Toronto and York Region Labour Council, and the
Canadian Federation of Students.
Mayor David
Miller has also endorsed this latest pro-transit crusade, which
calls for the TTC to get the same level of provincial subsidy that
it did under previous Conservative, Liberal and NDP administrations.
He tells Metro, “We have a moment where it might be possible to
secure the kind of transit funding that the transit riders of
Toronto deserve, and that was given by the Bill Davis, David
Peterson and Bob Rae governments.
“Nineteen
Liberal M.P.P’s were elected by this city and the campaign is a
timely way before the (provincial) budget to remind them of their
election commitments to fund public transit in Toronto.”
The pro-transit
group Rocket Riders is also part of the new alliance, and
spokesperson Gord Perks says that volunteers are planning to hand
out flyers to transit riders across the city during the month of
March. “We’re going to have people out at ten different subway
stations on Monday morning.” Commuters will be asked to sign the
flyers, which the group will forward to Queen’s Park. “We’re hopeful
that we can collect a couple of hundred thousand of them over the
next month in time for the provincial government’s final budget
deliberations.”
Even though
Premier McGuinty appears focused on the provincial deficit, Perks
warns that “We need $50 million in transit operating funds or we
will see a 25 cent fare increase and the largest service cuts in TTC
history, all in one year.” If such a scenario came true, the impact
on transit ridership could be severe. Toronto would “grind to a
halt” he says.
For those
interested in doing more than signing their name, the coalition is
soliciting volunteers to help hand out flyers. Call Daniel Yau at
416-917-0380, or go to
www.forthepublicgood.ca.
The Rocket
Riders will be discussing this and other issues at the group’s
monthly meeting at City Hall next Tuesday. TTC Commissioner and City
Councillor Peter Li Preti is also scheduled to attend, and will
speak on efforts to extend a rapid bus route and subway service to
York University.
The meeting is
in Committee Room 2 of Toronto City Hall at 100 Queen St. W on March
2 at 6:30 p.m. Call 416-596-0660 for more details.
Send e-mail to
transit@eddrass.com.
Include address and phone number.