The future of public transit in Toronto was up for debate yet again at a meeting in Scarborough on Thursday night.
The Toronto Taxpayers Coalition hosted a transit townhall featuring Dr. Gordon Chong and TTC chair Karen Stitz to discuss the future of rapid transit in the city and address issues from the roughly 200 citizens in attendance.
"We hope that by creating dialogue, we can help cut through the rhetoric and help everyone get a better perspective of the issue," coalition president Matthew McGuire said of the meeting's purpose.
Chong, a former city councillor, is the author of the Sheppard Subway Report supporting the extension of the subway line.
Chong said that Scarborough residents simply want the subway service they were promised years ago.
"They want a subway because it's been in the works since about 1980," Chong said.
Scarborough Coun. Norm Kelly who was also in attendance said he was not surprised by resident's overwhelming support for subways.
"Subways and Scarborough have been intertwined for the past 30 years," Kelly said. "And during that time, the people of Scarborough have been looking for a subway, and you know what, they've been promised a subway."
Recently reelected TTC chair Karen Stintz, an advocate for light-rail transit in Toronto, said that Thursday's meeting was good to start a conversation with the residents of Scarborough and explain the link between the private sector and subway funding.
"There is a misconception that the private sector will pay for the subways," Stintz said. "In fact the private sector will finance subways, but as a city we would have to pay them back, and paying them back would require more taxes and tolls."
Toronto city council will vote on the Sheppard subway extension at a meeting on March 21.
