TTC chair says it's unclear if Murray subway plan feasible

TTC chair Karen Stintz is casting doubt on the feasibility of a subway proposal put forward by the province’s transportation minister.

Last week, Transportation Minister Glen Murray announced a proposal to extend the Bloor-Danforth subway up to Scarborough Town Centre, adding about 6.4 kilometres of track to the existing system.

But Stintz believes the proposal from the minister falls short of a goal outlined by councillors, to extend the subway all the way up to Sheppard Avenue East.

"It's not the council’s position and it's not what the TTC recommended," Stintz told reporters on Wednesday, when discussing Murray's proposal.

Stintz said there are also questions about whether it can even be built.

"There are, as I say, technical concerns about this plan and whether it is even feasible or workable is something that we don't yet know. And it’s also not fully funded," said Stintz.

The TTC chair said she is keeping her focus on a subway expansion plan that council approved in July, which was contingent on federal and provincial funding being confirmed by the end of this month.

"We have until Sept. 30. We have a council-approved plan, which brings the subway up to Sheppard. It is conditional upon finding the money and from my perspective, that’s where we should be spending our time," she said.

Following Stintz's remarks to the media, Murray said on Twitter that it was time to "turn the page" and that the "Scarborough subway is being built."