Ford promises $5B for subways in Toronto, pledges other transit projects

Ford is also promising to upload responsibility to the province for the Toronto Transit Commission’s subway infrastructure, but the city would still be responsible for day-to-day operations and keep the revenue.
(Photo By Councillor_Doug_Ford_at_levee_2011.jpg: The City of Toronto from Toronto, Canadaderivative work: Skeezix1000 (talk) – Councillor_Doug_Ford_at_levee_2011.jpg, CC BY 2.0)

TORONTO — Doug Ford highlighted a transit spending pledge for his first announcement in the provincial election campaign.

The Progressive Conservative leader says he would spend $5 billion, above what has already been committed, on subways in Toronto.

Ford is also promising to upload responsibility to the province for the Toronto Transit Commission’s subway infrastructure, but the city would still be responsible for day-to-day operations and keep the revenue.

He says a Tory government would also prioritize underground transit, which is reminiscent of the “subways, subways, subways” mantra of his late brother, former Toronto mayor Rob Ford.

Outside of Toronto, Doug Ford says he would support two-way, all-day GO Transit service to Niagara and Phase 2 of the Ottawa LRT, as well as regional transit projects in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, London and Kitchener-Waterloo.

Ford says he would build “a truly regional transit system.”