Should Toronto build a subway or a light rail transit?

LRT Vehicle

The question that has polarized Toronto city council is whether to build a subway or a  light rail transit? Our mayor, Rob Ford is in favor of a subway system whilst the chair of the TTC committee Karen Stinz and her supporters are in favor of a LRT.

In 2010 Metrolinx signed a purchase agreement with Bombardier for 182 Transit City light rail vehicles for $770 million. These vehicles will serve the four Transit City priority projects:  Sheppard East LRT, Eglinton Crosstown LRT, Finch West LRT and the Scarborough RT replacement/extension. 

It is obvious that the current council vote to disregard the mayor's desire to build subways instead of  a LRT is based wholly or partially on this commitment - the contractual arrangements with Bombardier. Our concerns as motorists are, will the proposed LRT tracks interfere with traffic congestion and have any serious studies been done to support the soundness of this decision?

The Spadina streetcar line is an example of an LRT.  It has a dedicated line but Spadina Street during the best of times is always congested. We would also like to remind Torontonians about the St Clair Avenue 'project'. It is safe to write that this project has financially ruined  many merchants. Toronto city council did not yield to suggestions from the public about how  terrible the proposed plan was at the time. They went ahead and spent millions and today it appears that the city's decision was wrong.

About a week ago as we drove on St Clair Avenue we could not escape the fact that blocks of the street were vacant where businesses used to be once upon a time. Perhaps, the lessons from the St Clair Avenue project, which was also TTC related should warn us that popular vote from council does not always mean the correct vote. If the proposed LRT lines would have anything to do with  gridlock, then we should rethink our options.