Miller uses subway PA to push for funding

Mayor David Miller has taken over the public address system in the TTC and is asking transit users to put pressure on the provincial government to restore funding for the city's planned transit expansion.

Riders heard the partisan political message for the first time during Thursday's morning commute. The recorded message will continue to be played every ten minutes at least until next week.

In last month's provincial budget the government said it was delaying funding for the city's Transit City plan, prompting the Toronto mayor to call the move "thoughtless" and "disgraceful."  Miller said he was "beyond disappointed" with the provincial government's decision.

In the March 25 budget the Ontario government said it was postponing delivery of $4 billion to the Metrolinx regional transit agency, which is in the process of building more than $9 billion worth of public transit projects in the GTA.

Most likely to be shelved will be large sections of Toronto's Transit City project which was supposed to build light rail lines from the fringes of the city into the centre. 

"It's beyond disappointing.  It's an astonishing betrayal of the commitments this government made to the people of this city," Miller said in an interview with CBC News after learning of the funding delay. 

In the announcement being played in the city's subway stations Miller says, "The provincial government is proposing to cut promised funding for Transit City in half, putting the entire plan at risk. Call Premier [Dalton] McGuinty and your MPP today and urge them to restore funding and save Transit City."

According to Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan delivery of about $4 billion in transit funding is delayed for five years as the province wrestles with a deficit of more than $21 billion. 

Although transit officials have not released any detailed assessment of what the result of the funding delay will be, it's believed that some of the ambitious light rail plans Miller envisioned for areas of Scarborough, Etobicoke and other northern areas of the city will be put on hold.

The LRTs along Finch Avenue West, and Sheppard Avenue East, as well as the Scarborough RT and the cross-city Eglinton line are also in doubt.  It's believed the expansion of the Viva bus service in York region will also be affected.