The province will abide by the will of council when it comes to spending $8.4 billion on public transit in the City of Toronto, Transportation Minister Bob Chiarelli announced Thursday.

"This is not a decision for the mayor; it is a decision for council," Chiarelli said. "We don't tell the city what to build or how to build it. It is their choice."

Chiarelli's comments came just one day after city councilors voted 25-18 in favour of a light rail transit plan devolved under former Mayor David Miller and dubbed Transit City.

After Wednesday's vote Ford called the result "irrelevant," saying the ultimate decision rests with the province.

During an appearance on CP24's LeDrew Live Thursday night, Ford reiterated his plan to proceed with his vision for transit in Toronto.

"People in Scarborough want a subway, and I think that's what the premier should do," Ford said.

"I'm doing what the people of Scarborough want me to do," Ford added. "I'm going to fight for subways. If the premier wants to do something else, then he has to face the voters."

Mayor Rob Ford scrapped Transit City after he was elected, replacing it with a plan that calls for one underground route on Eglinton Avenue and a expansion of the Sheppard subway to be funded by the private sector.

"I don't know where Mayor Ford got the sense that Premier McGuinty is advocating subways," Chiarelli said Thursday. "My advice to Mayor Ford is to look at the traditional power dynamic of any city in Ontario and that is that council reigns supreme."

Shortly before Chiarelli's press conference Thursday, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak hinted to CP24 that the province should go over council's head.

"When I think about world class cities around the world they are all building subways," Hudak said. "If we want to break gridlock, create jobs and make this city stronger we should invest in subways."

A referendum is needed: Ford

Earlier on Thursday, Coun. Doug Ford told CP24 that a referendum should be called to decide how to proceed.

"It should be up to the people to make decisions; not a bunch of councilors down here and a referendum is the right thing to do," Ford said. "We believe the council is not supreme; people are supreme."

Ford went on to say that the majority of people are behind building subways.

In a report released this week, Metrolinx said Ford's plan would cut travel time by 25 per cent, be more reliable and boost ridership by 30 per cent.

"We know from every poll we have taken that 70 to 80 per cent of people want subways," Ford said. "There is a plan that we have. Let's stick with it."

Ford rides the rocket

Shortly after a majority of city councillors hit the brakes on his transit plan Wednesday, Mayor Rob Ford hit the rails and took a late-night ride on the TTC.

Photos of Ford's excursion were posted on Twitter by Isaac Ransom, his assistant, who snapped pictures as the mayor spoke to riders about the current state of the TTC and his transit plan.

Ford took his message to the people just hours after city council voted in favour of a light rail plan that contains elements of Transit City, which was approved under former mayor David Miller.

Before posting the photos, Ransom tweeted this message to his followers: "1:10 and Mayor Ford is still talking subways on the SRT!"

A short time later, Ransom posted a photo of Ford, clad in a suit and tie, speaking to a man on a Scarborough RT train.

"On the SRT!" Ransom wrote in a message posted along with the picture.

A short time later, Ransom uploaded a photo of Ford waiting for the SRT on a platform, writing: Mayor Ford waiting for the last ride of the night on the SRT heading west."

The third and final photo showed Ford standing at the front of a TTC bus.

"Taking the Eglinton bus west," Ransom wrote.

The photos were posted between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m.

Ford says experience was 'great.'

On Thursday morning, Ford sent the following message to his 17,000 Twitter followers: "It was great meeting & chatting with folks on the #TTC last night."

@ChrisKitching is on Twitter. Don't forget, for instant breaking news, follow @CP24 on Twitter.