Rob Ford Attempts To Keep Toronto From Having Input On Transit Funding

Rob Ford and his council lackeys want to differ discussing transit funding until AFTER Metrolinx' deadline to agree on what they will present to the province - in other words, until after it is too late to have their input considered by Metrolinx in their recommendations to the province.

Typical Rob Ford/Ford Nation idiocy.

The mayor should be doing all he can to encourage ideas and debate on this issue in order to come up with some input for Metrolinx BEFORE this deadline. Instead, he is burying his head in the sand and trying to stifle progress, as usual.

Transit Fees: Ford, Councillors Headed For A Showdown

Ontario Budget Attempts to Privatize Public Transit and other Public Services

From TTC Riders site:

Just as we savour our victory in winning back four Light Rail Transit lines for Toronto, an even greater threat is presenting itself—two provincial government initiatives that may foster privatization of our public transit systems. They are:

1) Schedule 28 (The Government Services and Service Providers Act, 2012), which is a section of the provincial government’s Budget Bill 55 that goes for a final vote at the Legislature this Wednesday, June 20th.

There is still opportunity for an amendment to eliminate Schedule 28 this Monday, during the meeting of the Standing Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs. We can call or email an MPP today and Monday morning and ask them to oppose Schedule 28. Here is why:

Section 28 will give a new Cabinet Minister sweeping power to authorize contracting out or privatization of any and all Ontario Government Services, with no requirement for transparency or accountability—even if this contradicts the mandates and regulations of other ministries. These measures will also apply to local municipal services and agencies. Concerns are compounded by Ontario’s obligations under international agreements, such as GATS, CETA, and NAFTA, which may prohibit favouring local contractors over international bidders. In addition, once a service is contracted out, restoring public ownership may be prohibited. (Here is a legal opinion on the Provincial budget bill that expresses many of these same concerns.)

 WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY:

• Call or email your MPP. Here is a link which will give you their name and contact information when you enter your postal code. 
• Contact members of the Standing Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs and ask them to vote for an amendment to eliminate Schedule 28. Here is a list of the members of the Committee and the Committee Clerk's contact info:
                       
  Chair                Bob Delaney                Liberal              Mississauga - Streetsville
  Vice Chair        Teresa Piruzza            Liberal               Windsor West
  Members         Victor Fedeli                 PC                    Nipissing
                          Cindy Forster               NDP                  Welland
                          Monte McNaughton     PC                    Lambton-Kent-Middlesex
                          Yasir Naqui                  Liberal              Ottawa Centre
                          Michael Prue              NDP                 Beaches – East York
                          Peter Shurmen             PC                   Thornhill
                          Soo Wong                   Liberal             Scarborough - Agincourt
                        
  The Committee Clerk is Valerie Quioc Lim. She can be reached at 416-325-7352 and can be sent messages for distribution to the Committee at her email: Valerie_quioc@ontla.ola.org. (I've bolded the Toronto MPPs.)

2) The Province and Metrolinx's handling of the four approved Light Rail projects opens the door to privatization of financing, project management, and potentially ownership and operation of these new transit lines. Privatized transit has been a disaster around the globe. We need to remind our MPPs of this to ensure we don't repeat the mistakes other cities have made privatizing their public transit systems. (Here is a short youtube video on the dangers of privatizing public transit created by the Public Transit Coalition in 2010.)

At it’s April 25th meeting, Metrolinx decided to take project management away from the TTC and implement work in the context of a public-private partnership with one large company. TTC staff voiced their concerns with this approach at their May 30th meeting, while the Commission quietly endorsed Metrolinx's approach.

In addition, here is what acclaimed author Taras Grescoe reports about Vancouver's Canada Line in Straphangers, his comprehensive new book about transit systems in 12 cities of the world:

• The Canada Line to the [Vancouver] airport … was the first major piece of transit infrastructure in North America to be built with a public-private partnership, an initiative many commentators say was plagued by corner-cutting. Three stations had to be eliminated from the planned route, and the station platforms … were too short to allow future expansions. Thanks to cost overruns, the provincial government will be compensating the private company that operates the line with payments up to $21 million a year until 2025.

Finally, an opinion piece in the June 5th Toronto Star by TTCrider Joell Vanderwagon, titled, Premier should tame Metrolinx beast sets out the details and dangers of the situation.

There is still time to stop this takeover. Stay tuned for actions that can be taken to address our concerns with this approach to building the desparately needed LRT network.

For More and Better Public Transit,

Jamie Kirkpatrick, Public Transit Campaigner
Toronto Environmental Alliance

Coward Rob Ford Leaves Chaos In His Wake

Today, Toronto mayor Rob Ford bolted and ran when he saw that he could not win the day. He left a fractured and confused City Hall in his wake.

This mayor is finding by not working to gain a consensus, by not being willing to listen to reason, by not being interested in leading, that he is creating a great amount of chaos and confusion and is wasting more time and money than any Toronto mayor before him. 

What will it take for him to grow up and be a real mayor? I seriously don't think he can. 

Now, all you people who voted for Ford - next time, please THINK before you vote. Do a bit of research. Make an informed decision. It was sooooooooooooo obvious that Ford, when he became mayor, would be the disaster that he has turned out to be. We are still thanking you people for all these problems of the past 1.5 years. Thanks.

See: Toronto Star: Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford Shuts Down Transit Debate.

Toronto City Council Takes Over Governance From Lame Duck Mayor Ford

"The questions several councillors are now asking is, “Is this the new normal? Must we rescue every issue from the administration’s incompetence?”¹- The answer, of course, is, unfortunately YES.

Before the election, when it looked like Ford would win, I was hoping that council would stop Ford's nonsense from the beginning. It has taken council - well, the so-called "Mushy Middle" of the council - all this time to finally see the light and vote for reason. And a few on the right have also seen the light. It will be strange to have the city governance exclude a (useless and foolish) mayor over the next couple of years. This is a hard lesson for Torontonians (who voted for Ford) and for councillors (who originally supported Ford until they began to see reason) which has set transit, among other things, back a year and a half.
The lesson of course is: pay attention and think about your choices before you leap - your choices will have consequences for years to come, not only for you, but for everyone else in Toronto.

NEW TTC BOARD ELECTED! The 5 Ford supporters who fired Webster are GONE!
New board:
Maria Augimeri, Raymond Cho, Josh Colle, Glenn De Baeremaeker, Peter Milczyn, John Parker, and Karen Stintz.
Stintz was also re-elected as chair in a vote that followed. Stintz got 24 votes to Milczyn's 19 votes (2 members were absent).

This is another huge defeat for the mayor, and another gain for Torontonians and city council. Basically, city council not only has re-set the agenda for transit, but has taken control of the TTC board and replaced it with a more diverse and intelligent set of people (people who who think about their constituents and don't just follow the mayor's lead).

Details on the motions and votes that led to council taking control of the TTC board way from the mayor at The Torontoist.²

Yes people, this is our mayor (L) and his brother (R).
383,501 people have some explaining to do.

¹  Toronto Star: James: Mayor Ford Whiffs, Swinging for Subway Fences

² The Torontoist: Debating The Future of The TTC Board

Picture from NOW magazine: http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=185504

Councillors Voted To Deny Rapid Transit For Their Constituents

On Feb. 8, 2012, the majority of Toronto City Council voted to reaffirm most of the Transit City LRT plans.
The vote was 25-18.
Nine councillors voted no to the plan that would bring rapid transit to their wards. The Ford transit plan would only have brought rapid transit to 4 of these 9 wards.

You can see a map of how the councillors voted at the Toronto Star page here.

You can see 5 maps of different versions of Toronto transit plans at the Globe & Mail page here.

Ford's plan has no LRT on Finch West, the Eglinton LRT line is much shorter on the West end, and his Sheppard Subway plan had no funding, so it most likely would not have been built any time soon.


The reaffirmed Transit City lines contains a segment of LRT that crosses the North end of Etobicoke on Finch, has an Eglinton West LRT line that extends to the edge of Etobicoke, and includes the possibility of an LRT line along Sheppard in Scarborough.

The Councillors who voted against rapid transit routes in their wards are:
1 - Vincent Crisanti
7 - Giorgio Mammoliti
11 - Francis Nunziata
12 - Frank Di Giorgio
17 - Cesar Palacio
34 - Denzil Minnan-Wong
35 - Michelle Bernardinetti
37 - Michael Thompson
40 - Norm Kelly

The wards, of the councillors above, which would end up with zero new rapid transit lines in their wards under Fords plan: 1, 7, 11, 12 and 40

Now, people who live in these wards, when it comes election time again, remember that your councillor voted to deny you vastly improved public transit.

Has Toronto's Mayor Become Irrelevant?

Photo of Rob Ford by Tannis Toohey
for The Toronto Star

Yesterday, Toronto City Council took over the lead on transit planning in the city and voted to reaffirm most of the LRT lines outlined in the Transit City plan. Council voted 25-18 to reaffirm what was already a binding agreement between Toronto City Council and the provincial government. Rob Ford had been trying to derail this plan over the past year and had successfully pulled the wool over the eyes of some of the new and centrist councillors - until yesterday.

After the council vote, Ford claimed that the meeting was irrelevant and that the premier would continue to support his own plan (a fully buried LRT along Eglinton, and a non-funded short subway dream on an Eastern portion of Sheppard).

The provinces response? From the CBC article:

Despite Ford's hopes, Ontario Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli seemed to suggest the province would follow the will of council.

"Throughout the debate, the McGuinty government has maintained a clear stance — we wanted the city to come to a common position so that we all could focus on building much-needed transit infrastructure," he said in a statement. "Now that council has endorsed a position, we have asked Metrolinx to consider the impacts on current transit planning and report back to us as quickly as possible."

Is this the beginning of a change in the Mushy Middle? Will we see the centrists on council begin to vote for reason and their constituents instead of with the mayor? If so, then, over the next 3 years, Rob Ford may find himself outvoted and irrelevant through his own pig-headed uncompromising actions thus far.

UPDATE
Here is the list of how each councillor voted:
LRT For Toronto: Rob Ford Loses Bid To Control Toronto's Transit Future 

Two surprise votes in support of reaffirming the LRT lines were usual Ford supporters John Parker and Jaye Robinson.
Out of the ten Scarborough councillors, 1 was absent, 3 voted in support of the LRT lines, and the rest stuck with Ford and voted against the motion. 

See also
Openfile: After Yesterday's LRT Vote, Toronto Enters the Age of Minority Government
The mayor, having already lost one of the most important votes of his term so far, seems unwilling to face the arithmetic of Toronto's politics (he needs 22 votes on council, plus his own) and instead is working hard to alienate the very centre-right councillors he needs. In hushed tones, some council staff tell reporters they've never seen a mayor so unwilling to compromise. In particular, ruling out TTC Chair Karen Stintz' attempt at compromise (which everyone from Giorgio Mammoliti (Ward 7, York West) to Cherise Burda of the Pembina Institute seemed to be able to live with) left a number of staff shaking their heads.

Noncommittal Rob Ford brushes off $130 million + $49 million wasted in cancelling Transit City

Metro - Ford deals death blow to Transit City

Toronto must pay at least $49M to cancel LRT plan

I was waiting for more numbers to come in before posting this. So far, we have a waste, by Ford, of $179 million.

From the Metro article:
Ford was noncommittal when asked who will be responsible for the $130
million already spent on Transit City as well as the penalties on more
than $1.3 billion worth of signed contracts

On Rob Ford's first day as mayor, he cancelled Transit City. The city had already spent $130 million dollars on it.
In addition, the city will have to pay penalties for breaking contracts related to Transit City.
From the CBC article:

Toronto is currently on the hook for at least $49 million for
cancelling the Transit City light rail plan, says the head of the
regional transportation agency tasked with implementing Toronto Mayor
Rob Ford's new transit plan.

That outlay is likely to rise, said Bruce McQuaig, the CEO of
Metrolinx. The city would have to pay for any penalties incurred for
breaking or altering contracts secured in the previous Transit City
plan, he confirmed.

"$49 million is what would be known at this point in time and then
there would be additions based on how the discussions go with some of
the suppliers," he told reporters Thursday.

So, it will be more than $49 million.


Rob Ford Gravy Train amount: $179 million

The Rob Ford supporters never paid attention

Mapping Toronto's Wellbeing - Torontoist
Okay, first, no one is surprised that they didn't and don't pay attention.

Here is a smoking gun of inattentiveness:
Scroll down to "Overcrowded TTC Routes". Notice that the most overcrowded public transit routes are in the heartland of Ford Nation - Mainly Northern Etobicoke, but also in South Etobicoke, NW North York and in Scarborough. The worst overcrowding being in Northern Etobicoke.

These people voted AGAINST building the already planned and budgeted Transit City rapid transit routes into these overcrowded areas. I guess they must love poor public transit service, because Ford said (and he has since done) he would take away the already budgeted Transit City plan that would have given these areas vastly improved public transit.

The NDP has a national public transit strategy

National Public Transit Strategy Still Missing from this Election - Torontoist
The Torontoist published this misleading bit of journalism today. Again, like most MSM, they only count the Conservatives and Liberals when speaking about the election. The Torontoist did include a mention of the NDP, who do have a national public transit strategy. So, why the misleading title of the article?

Excperpts from the article:
In addition to the FCM, the Canadian Urban Transit Association has called for a national transit strategy—something that the NDP’s Olivia Chow had put forward in the form of Bill C-615,
which had its first reading on February 3, 2011. The bill (aptly named
an Act to Establish a National Transit Strategy) called for all levels
of government to work together to establish and maintain permanent
federal funding mechanisms for public transportation.
Sadly, as we've already noted, a full slate of urban issues, including transit, is not getting very much airtime in this federal election.
...
As mentioned, the NDP is calling for an additional cent of the gas tax
to be dedicated to cities, which could be used for public
transportation. However, they are also calling for a National Public
Transit Strategy, and, given that Olivia Chow had proposed a bill
establishing this before parliament was dissolved, we can assume they
are taking this seriously.


Sadly, what is missing is not the platform items and the attention of parties, but the lack of coverage and the lack of attention given to certain topics by the MSM, and sadly, by the alternative media like Torontoist, along with the total discounting of the NDP, who, by the way, are now 2nd in the polls.
I expected better from Torontoist.


The NDP National Transit Strategy:
    * Provide a permanent investment plan to support public transit
    * Establish federal funding mechanisms for public transit
    * Work together with all levels of government to provide sustainable, predictable, long term and adequate funding
    * Etablish accountability measures to ensure that all governments work together to increase access to public transit.
(From the bill tabled in parliament by NDP's Olivia Chow this past winter)
See:
http://www.ndp.ca/press/new-democrat-tables-national-transit-strategy
http://www.ndp.ca/press/new-democrats-outline-new-national-transit-strategy
Also, from the NDP platform:
* We will enact a National Public Transit Strategy in order to maintain and expand public transit across the coutnry, with a clear mechanism for sustainable, predictable and long-term funding
* We will immediately allocate another cent of the existing gas tax to public transit funding for municipalities
* We will encourage transit use by providing a tax exemption for employee workplace-based transit passes

NDP support for cities

The NDP care about urban voters.

See sections 2.6 - Investing in Critical Infrastructure, and 4.4 - Strengthening Public Transit for Liveable Cities
in the NDP Platform.
http://www.ndp.ca/platform

From 2.6:
"- Funding urban public transit with an additional cent of the existing gas tax.
- Significant new funding for affordable and social housing
- Made-in-Canada federal procurement policy for investments in public transit, infrastructure and other key investments
- Continuing current federal infrastructure funding commitments, like those under the Building Canada Fund."

From 4.4:
"- We will enact a National Public Transit Strategy in order to maintain and expand public transit across the country, with a clear mechanism for sustainable, predictable and long-term funding
- We will immediately allocate another cent of the existing gas tax to public transit funding for municipalities
- We will encourage transit use by providing tax exemption for employee workplace-based transit passes."

UPDATE:
Layton Pledges Support to Cities

QUÉBEC CITY – NDP Leader Jack Layton today pledged to support cities with dedicated resources to build green infrastructure, upgrade water treatment facilities, build affordable housing, and keep communities safe.

At a rousing breakfast rally in Québec City, Layton told supporters that strong, sustainable cities are key to Canada’s future.

“Canadian cities drive innovation, attract investment, and are an engine for job creation,” said Layton. “But Stephen Harper has turned his back on cities with no long-term plan to meet today’s growing challenges.”

Layton said he will work together with cities in Québec, and throughout Canada, to build green infrastructure and provide the quality of life we need to be leaders in tomorrow’s economy.

“My plan dedicates resources to build green infrastructure, with targeted funds for urban transit, clean water, research and development,” said Layton. “It will help communities like Quebec City and all across Canada realize their vision for a healthy and sustainable future.”

Layton told supporters that Québecers are turning to the NDP to change Ottawa.

“The NDP is on the move in Québec,” said Layton. “Everywhere I go I can feel the momentum growing. Québecers want to break from the status quo with new leadership they can trust. Working together, we can make it happen.”

What would Light Rail be like?

What Would Light Rail Be Like? - Torontoist
Underground, LRT it would be about as fast as the existing subway trains. Above ground, where there are more frequent stops, it would be slower (as would the subway if it had more frequent (meaning close together) stops).
It would not reduce the number of car lanes (where it looked like it would, they put it underground so it wouldn't).


From comments to the article:
Rich1299: Transit City lines would not take away any lanes for cars, none at all,
two car lanes in each direction before an LRT line and two car lanes
afterwards, plus there won't be dozens of buses constantly stopping in
those car lanes so car traffic will flow much more smoothly on routes
with an LRT on them. In fact the reason the section on Eglinton is being
buried is because they would have had to reduce car lanes if they
didn't so the myth that LRTs take away from cars is just that, a myth.


xtremesniper:
Subways are great. I don't think anyone would actually
take LRT over subway if they had a realistic choice. But given what we
have learned over the past 50 years, I think I'd rather have something
that has a chance for completion in my lifetime over mystical subway
lines that will forever haunt political history files for decades.

Ford is only pushing so hard for subways because he knows that there
won't be ANY ground-breaking on any subway project while he's still in
office. He'll do what he actually wants (to kill Transit City) and the
actual task of starting real subway development will be left for the
next mayor or the one after that.

Toronto needs expanded and improved transit. Doesn't matter how or in
what form, so long as we can get people moving sooner rather than
later. The whole excuse of "do it right the first time" is just hurting
everything even more because it's a simple fact that the TTC wastes a
huge chunk of their budget on union wages and so our government does not
take public transit seriously because they just view it as a cash cow.

I'll take what I can get. Maybe I'll be able to take transit to work by the time I retire. Maybe.

Stells Bells: I'm staggered by Doug's claim that he has been to "every single city in
North America". Surely that claim alone proves that he is full of sh!t
and one need go no further.

Nick: I think Doug's polling question would have to be
examined. For instance, you can ask the question "Does Toronto need more
subways and fewer streetcars?" (obviously, yes) or "Does Toronto need
7.5 km of subway serving a small percentage of its population or 75 km
of right-of-way separated LRT that serves 80% if its population and
frees up space for cars on the road and that's already funded by the province" (obviously, yes!!).

I wish Toronto had votable propositions like US states do, which
allocate specific funds for specific purposes, and which can't be
overturned by the latest dullard to take office. I don't think Ford got a
mandate to forge ahead with some half-baked subway plan but rather to
stop some ill-defined gravy train.

Canvassers Debate Transit City and Light Rail, Door to Door

Canvassers Debate Transit City and Light Rail, Door to Door - Torontoist
Excerpts:
On Saturday, supporters of the provincially backed plan gathered to
canvass homes in the Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue area, in an
attempt to raise awareness of the plight of light rail in Toronto. Yonge
and Eglinton had been chosen because it falls within the jurisdiction
of councillor Karen Stintz (Ward 16, Eglinton-Lawrence), Ford’s pick for the next chair of the TTC.
...
"The only person I know who's against it is Rob Ford," he said.

Read the top link for the full story.

Ford's plan for West Toronto - what is it?

Ford’s plan for West Toronto – what is it? — Valentine Makhouleen — interactive art director

We all know Rob Ford’s stance on streetcars and transit. It bothers me.

Under the proposed Transit City
plan, my neighborhood lies right on the path of Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
Which was great news at the time of the initial announcement of
Transity City – we might have a chance of finally getting to a subway
line without spending up to 45 minutes in the rain waiting for a bus.
Not to mention, it would greatly reduce congestion in Scarlett & St.
Clair area by providing a better transit alternative to the unreliable
bus service. It will also make the neighborhood more accessible to most
vulnerable of our residents – those who can not afford a car, or are
simply not capable of driving one. No wonder most residents in my ward
drive – living in our ward without a car sucks. And there is no better
alternative.

Neither Rob Ford, nor his brother Doug
(who is a councilor in my ward) have put forth a specific plan for the
West LRT line. Based on Rob Ford’s “less streetcars, more subways”
rhetoric I am going to make an assumption that they plan on scrapping
the West LRT line and instead focusing on a subway line. In all honesty,
Westbound Eglinton subway line would be a dream come true. But,
realistically, I do not see a subway line crossing the Humber river
within the next few decades. LRT is a cheaper, and more acceptable
alternative.

...

Read the link at the top for more

More news about the clown prince of Toronto

Newsstand: December 3, 2010 - Torontoist
Excerpts:
Rob Ford plans to set an appropriately clownish tone for his mayoralty by having Don Cherry introduce him at his first city council meeting on December 7.
...
Also on the Fordwatch, our miserly mayor is moving on his campaign promises,
asking his executive committee to approve proposals that would reduce
councillor office budgets by 40%, cut the mayoral office budget by 20%,
and offer guidance for a 2011 operating budget no greater than this
year's $9.2 billion without major service cuts. He'll also look to
repeal the city's $60-a-year vehicle registration fee and have the TTC
declared an essential service, limiting TTC workers' right to strike.
Of course asking for stuff is the usually the easy part, while doing stuff can be tougher. Any recommendations out of the executive committee would have to be approved by city council vote.

If he drastically slashes office budgets, how does he expect the level of service to citizens to also improve? The level of service will drop drastically too.

By making the TTC an essential service, the workers will have to end up being paid much higher (that's how it works when you make something an essential service). This will cost the city, and the riders (fare increases) much more. How is this good fiscal management Rob?

...
It remains to be seen whether all stakeholders will buy into the mayor's
vision of a city where residents and awestruck Pan-Am Games athletes
can travel from Sheppard station to Scarborough Town Centre underground,
as long as they drive cars everywhere else.

A good point and this sums up Fords plan exactly. With Transit City, large areas of the city will be serviced by new rapid transit. With Ford's plan, all that is cancelled and only a tiny piece of Scarborough will be serviced by rapid transit.

Rob Ford has to face reality on public transit funding

Not so fast, Wynne warns Ford on transit - thestar.com
Transit City isn’t dead just because rookie Mayor Rob Ford has decreed
it so, warns Ontario Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne.
...

Light Rail Transit - best for Toronto

Light rail transit touted as best for Toronto - thestar.com
As must have been realized when the Transit City plan came into effect, the light rail transit planned to link up much of the suburban areas of Toronto, has been deemed the best environmental option in a new report by the Toronto Environmental Alliance.
The T.E.A. also determined that the LRT option is also the most economical - providing the most transportation for the most people for the least pollution and the lowest cost of building when compared with subways and buses.

Toronto Municipal Election: Where the candidates stand on public transit issues

keepttcpublic | Where Do The Candidates Stand?
Click the link above to see how councillor and mayoral candidates fared on the questionnaire from the Public Transit Coalition, and see the list of questions.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Joe Pantalone receives an A+ grade from the Public Transit Coalition

Public Transit Coalition » Pantalone Gets Top Mark on Transit Report Card

Mayoral hopeful Joe Pantalone received the top grade in the Public
Transit Coalition’s  Report Card which rates where the leading mayoral
candidates stand on key issues facing the TTC.  Candidates were sent a
ten-question survey on a range of transit-related issues from keeping
the TTC public to keeping fares in check. The complete list of survey
questions and candidate responses can be found at www.KeepTTCPublic.ca.

The report card makes it clear where the top 4 mayoral candidates
stand on key issues facing the TTC.  Joe Pantalone scores an A+, George
Smitherman gets a B, and Rob Ford and Rocco Rossi got Fs as both failed
to complete the survey.

Toronto Mayoral Race: Pantalone scores points at TCN debate

Inside Toronto Votes » Blog Archive » Mayoral candidates square off at TCN debate
Excerpt:

Pantalone, a supporter of the light rail Transit City plan, scoffed
at Ford’s transit plan, which includes two subway lines in Scarborough –
along Sheppard Avenue East and extending the Bloor-Danforth line, both
to the Scarborough Town Centre.

“My solution is Transit City,” Pantalone said. “Mr. Ford wants to
build 12 kilometres of subway. Transit City is 120 kilometres. He wants
to build the Sheppard and the SRT (Scarborough RT line), but he forgets
about Eglinton, he forgets about Finch. Mr. Ford’s plan is incomplete
and more expensive. The subway costs three times as much. All these
other plans are approved – and he wants to do more talking. As far as I
know, more talking doesn’t get us there from here.”

Toronto Mayoral Race: How Commuters Get Downtown

Tunnels and Transportation — how commuters get downtown « Spacing Toronto
Contrary to the belief of some mayoral candidates, most commuters travelling to downtown Toronto don't take cars to get there.
Excerpt:

The fact is, however, that despite the presence of both the Gardiner
and the DVP feeding cars into the downtown core, only a minority of
people who work downtown drive there. The vast majority -- 71% -- of
people who travel into work downtown don't have to fight their way
through car traffic -- they take GO Trains, the TTC, or they walk or
cycle.

Here's the breakdown for people commuting to Ward 28 (which includes most of the downtown business district) from outside the ward (all figures are from the Transportation Tomorrow Survey, 2006 (PDF)).

Local transit (TTC): 38%

GO Train: 26%

Walk/Cycle: 7%

Car driver/passenger: 28%

Other: 1%

The numbers are similar (more TTC, less GO Train) in Wards 27 and 20, which border the business district.