NDP Says Doug Ford is Invisible on Transit Decision
TORONTO AND THUNDER BAY — MPP Jessica Bell (University Rosedale) and MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) are calling on the Ford government to help Toronto buy more made-in-Ontario buses, streetcars, and subways to maintain service levels and stop service cuts.
“Thunder Bay workers and families will benefit if transit vehicles for Ontarians are built right here in Thunder Bay. This is exactly the kind of green, made-in-Ontario manufacturing plan that must be part of our COVID-19 economic recovery plan,” said Monteith-Farrell.
Today the TTC is voting to order more buses, subways, streetcars, and Wheel-Trans buses, but the order will fall short of what is needed to replace aging vehicles because the Ford government is refusing to pay its fair share.
“The City of Toronto has come to the table. The federal government has come to the table. But Doug Ford is nowhere to be seen. Ford could create jobs and help ease unsafe crowding on our transit vehicles — but he’s choosing to withhold the funding, rather than helping people,” said Bell.
Without provincial funding, the City will only purchase 13 streetcars, 70 Wheel-Trans vehicles, 300 buses, and no subway cars.
With provincial funding, which also triggers federal funding, the order would increase to 60 streetcars, 80 subway cars, 512 Wheel-Trans buses, and 1,422 buses.
