Scarborough subway vs. LRT debate at council pushed to Wednesday

The Scarborough subway saga is back on the agenda at City Hall this week – but residents will have to wait another day.

Yet another debate over whether the east end should have a subway or light-rail transit (LRT) was supposed to be held on Tuesday, on day one of a three-day city council meeting. However, the item will now be considered on Wednesday, the mayor’s office said.

The subway issue is being discussed as part of a major transit plan for Toronto, which includes a proposed downtown relief line. Some councillors are pushing for the LRT after subway costs ballooned.

Mayor John Tory remains in favour of a one-stop subway extension in Scarborough, despite the $2.9-billon cost, up $900-million from the cost estimate issued in January.

The proposed subway extension is now down to one stop, to Scarborough Town Centre, with the remaining corridor to be serviced by a 17-stop LRT. The subway would run directly from Kennedy Station to the Scarborough Town Centre and would no longer stop at Lawrence or Sheppard.

 

The price for the original version of the project, a three-stop subway, was budgeted at $3.56 billion. If the city stayed with the three-stop subway, it would be been $1.4-billion over budget, and would cost $4.3 billion.

Scarborough subway extension $900M over budget. Watch the video below or click here to view it.

Although some councillors are against the subway extension, Tory is getting some support from other groups. The Toronto Sun reports five institutions in Scarborough, including two hospitals, Centennial College, the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus and the local business association have written an open letter supporting the one-stop extension and the 17-stop LRT project.

Also on the agenda, as part of the broader transit plan for Toronto, is the mayor’s SmartTrack proposal. Last month, Tory and the province announced new stops for SmartTrack and GO Transit’s Regional Express Rail Network in the east and west ends of the city.

Former mayor Mel Lastman weighs in on Scarborough subway debate Watch the video below or click here to view it.

The council meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Click here to read the agenda.

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Safe injection sites

On Thursday, councillors will discuss whether to implement safe injection sites at three locations in the city. Last week, the board of health unanimously voted in favour of the sites.

The supervised sites allow people to take illicitly-obtained drugs while supervised by nurses, in order to prevent overdoses.

If approved by council, the sites would be the Toronto Public Health building on Victoria Street near Yonge-Dundas Square, at the Queen West-Central Toronto Community Health Centre and South Riverdale Community Health Centre.

Between 2004 and 2014 there was a 77 per cent increase in the reported number of people dying from overdose in Toronto – from 146 in 2004 to 258 in 2014.

911 texting

City council is also set to vote on a motion from Coun. Norm Kelly for 911 texting to be adopted in Toronto. If approved, the city could become the first one in Canada to allow texting 911 for all residents seeking help in an emergency.

The motion cites the Orlando massacre as an example of a situation where 911 texting could have saved lives.

“There are situations in which making voice calls would attract unwanted attention and texting would provide a safe alternative,” Kelly’s motion states.

The motion goes on to remind council that the technology is already available to those with hearing and speech impairments.

Street hockey ban

Another issue that councillors will be debating is a proposal to remove the city’s current ban on street hockey and basketball.

Currently, playing the games on residential roadways can result in a $90 ticket. Ontario’s Child and Youth Services Minister Michael Coteau is urging councillors to allow the games to be played for the health and overall well-being of children in the province.

With a report from The Canadian Press