The Pembina Institute calls on the next Ontario Premier to hit the brakes on supporting Mayor Ford's 'gravy-train'
TORONTO, ON — Cherise Burda, Ontario Policy Director for the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to Mayor Ford's request to Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty — and all party leaders — to help fund a Sheppard subway line:
"Given Toronto's tough financial situation — and the current economic challenges for all Ontarians — the provincial government must be extremely prudent with its contribution to Toronto transit, investing only in options that are the best value for money.
"If you compare a Sheppard subway line to all of the other transit options that have been brought to the table over the past couple of years, a subway line for Sheppard would cost the most per kilometer and serve the fewest number of Torontonians per dollar invested.
"Traffic congestion costs Toronto $6 billion annually and is the most significant impediment to making Toronto the best city to live, work and do business in. We need to resolve this issue by providing quality transit services to the greatest number of Torontonians in the most affordable way possible.
"A light rail transit (LRT) system for Sheppard would serve the community at a quarter to a fifth of the cost of a subway, making funds available for rapid transit to connect with other neighbourhoods that desperately need it, such as Finch West.
"Committing provincial funds to a Sheppard subway line will not only misdirect precious provincial investment but also help kickstart a project which requires significant loans from the private sector for which the city and its citizens will be held responsible — loans that, based on Toronto's current deficit, will be difficult to repay."
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Contact:
Cherise Burda
Ontario Policy Director, Pembina Institute
Cell: 416-824-0256
Phone: 416-644-1016
Background:
For the Pembina Institute's analysis of the proposed Sheppard subway, see our report — New transit plan for Toronto — here.
Cost by the numbers:
Sheppard subway:
- Cost: approximately $4.7 billion
- Length: 12 km
- Cost per kilometer: $392 million
- Number of people and jobs connected: 122,000
- Cost per resident/job connected: $38,500
Sheppard LRT
- Cost: approximately $1 billion
- Length: 12 km
- Cost per kilometer: $85 million
- Number of people and jobs connected: 122,000
- Cost per resident/job connected: $8,200
Finch LRT
- Cost: approximately $0.9 billion
- Length: 11 km
- Cost per kilometer: $85 million
- Number of people and jobs connected: 78,000
- Cost per resident/job connected: $11,500
Density by the numbers:
To support subways, densities of at least 115 people per hectare are required. Based on current growth projections, density along Sheppard is expected to be 102 people and jobs per hectare by 2031.
This is a significant increase over the current density of 68 people and jobs per hectare; however, it is still well below the density required to support the construction of a new subway line. For comparison, by 2031 density along the Young-University-Spadina (YUS) subway line is anticipated to be 341 people and jobs per hectare.