Ford Finally Gets A Tunnel!

[Anbarandy]

By Terry Davidson ,Toronto Sun Friday, March 09, 2012 04:33 PM EST


The construction of a pedestrian link between Toronto’s downtown and the Billy Bishop island airport was announced Friday with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Mayor Rob Ford and other dignitaries gathered in one of the airport’s hangars.

City council approved the building of the fixed link in July, and Ottawa recently gave the green light for regulatory amendments to allow construction to move ahead.

The tunnel, which will cost $82.6 million to build and take just over two years to complete, will be financed by the private sector and partially paid for by airport users through an existing $20 Airport Improvement Fee.

“The construction of the pedestrian tunnel will create jobs in the GTA and help manage passenger flows to and from the airport,” said Harper while standing in front of a dozen airport and construction workers - some wearing hard hats and reflective vests.


Rob delivers on his campaign promise of underground transit. Privately funded and not costing taxpayers a cent just as he promised.

 

[james t kirk]

I would rather have seen the money go to build the Fort York Pedestrian bridge actually.

 

[Tangwhich]

I would rather have seen the money go to build the Fort York Pedestrian bridge actually.

If this article posted is correct, then the tax payers aren't funding it, so you can't allocate third party money to just anywhere.

 

[james t kirk]

If this article posted is correct, then the tax payers aren't funding it, so you can't allocate third party money to just anywhere.

Yeah, I read that part, and it doesn't make sense.

Who the fuck in the "private sector" is going to part with 80 million to build a pedestrian tunnel to the airport. Doesn't make sense to me. Does "private sector" mean that they are going to have tolls? You can take the ferry for free right now. 10 bucks a head (which no-one will pay) mean you need 8 million people utilizing that tunnel. That will take, oh, forever, to accomplish.

My guess is that "private sector" means the airport itself. Which really isn't private sector now is it. Or maybe the port authority - which again, really isn't the "private sector"

The private sector to me is like Apple Computers, or Rio Tinto, or Loblaws. I can't fathom any one of them (or like them) ponying up 80 million out of the goodness of their hearts to build a pedestrian tunnel to the Island Airport. Doesn't make sense.

I'd like to know exactly WHO the "private sector" is in this case.

For example, the City of Toronto and Fairmont Hotels recently paid for the construction of the Simco Street tunnel under the tracks by Union Station (because Fairmont is going to build a new hotel on the south side of the tracks on Bremner and Fairmont does not want the hotel to be cut off from the city.) Fairmont paid 20 million of the 42 million dollars it cost to build the tunnel connecting Simcoe Street to Lakeshore. But the City had to pay the other 22 million. Fairmont didn't have the jam to pay the shot. And even though Fairmont wanted the new tunnnel, I guess the City figured they could use it too and agreed to pay half.

That's 40 million.

This is 80 million. So who in "the private sector" is going to pay that?

Air Canada? They're fucking broke

Porter? They lost 40 million last year.

Who else?

Doesn't make sense. I see the line "private sector" as smoke and mirrors. Most likely Mayor McCheese doesn't want it on the City's books, so he has it funded through the Harbour Commission, or some pseudo government body. Who knows.

When David Miller became Mayor, one of the first things he did was kill the bridge to to the Island Airport. Too bad he had to pay AECON 100% of the cost of building the bridge not to build the bridge.

That's a damned expensive tunnel as well. There must be some major engineering issues associated with its construction.

 

[kkelso]

I'm a frequent passenger through the island - any news on which construction technique they chose?

 

[wigglee]

The airlines and the airport probably got approval to increase air traffic there ( a mistake, as it is busy enough now) Why are Harper and Ford posing with shovels?...all they did was give permission for private enterprise to do what they want, which is make $.

 

[Anbarandy]

I would rather have seen the money go to build the Fort York Pedestrian bridge actually.

I would have preferred an unfunded multi-billion dollar subway tunnel under the Lake Ontario bedrock from the ferry docks to the Islands. Would have made as much sense as the Fordee's Scarborough subway fantasy.

 

[Tangwhich]

I would have preferred an unfunded multi-billion dollar subway tunnel under the Lake Ontario bedrock from the ferry docks to the Islands. Would have made as much sense as the Fordee's Scarborough subway fantasy.

Your level of stupidity continues to amaze. How pathetic is your life to be so fixated on rob ford? Do you desire him so much that you must continually shout disdain towards him to convince yourself differently?

 

[Anbarandy]

Where is the subway? I don't see the subway. Show me the subway.

Until you can show me the subway, and not a lazy fat man's slogan rich fantasy or a plump lump's 'stump to nowhere', then your comments are meaningless fixations rooted in fantasy.

Show me the subway.

 

[Tangwhich]

Where is the subway? I don't see the subway. Show me the subway.

Until you can show me the subway, and not a lazy fat man's slogan rich fantasy or a plump lump's 'stump to nowhere', then your comments are meaningless fixations rooted in fantasy.

Show me the subway.

Show me a single politician that doesn't make promises that they don't keep. You can't because they don't exist. I'm not excusing ford, but your obsession with him is frankly sick. It's the kind of state of mind a stalker would have. Get out and breath in some fresh air, you clearly need it.

 

[groggy]

Given the choice between a maximum wait of 15 minutes for the ferry and $20 improvement fee added to tickets for the tunnel, I wonder what people would choose.
I had no problem with the ferry.

 

[FatOne]

Your level of stupidity continues to amaze. How pathetic is your life to be so fixated on rob ford? Do you desire him so much that you must continually shout disdain towards him to convince yourself differently?

Love and hate are very similar emotions.

 

[Anbarandy]

Given the choice between a maximum wait of 15 minutes for the ferry and $20 improvement fee added to tickets for the tunnel, I wonder what people would choose.
I had no problem with the ferry.

People want subways. Everywhere I go, everyone one I talk to, they all come up to me and say, "I want a subway".

People voted for a subway. So they either have to ride a ferry or walk under the lake? It's like(garbled)......so they're not taxpayers? So they don't get a subway? It doesn't make sense.

 

[PornAddict]

Your level of stupidity continues to amaze. How pathetic is your life to be so fixated on rob ford? Do you desire him so much that you must continually shout disdain towards him to convince yourself differently?

I agree with you.

 

[oldjones]

Given the choice between a maximum wait of 15 minutes for the ferry and $20 improvement fee added to tickets for the tunnel, I wonder what people would choose.
I had no problem with the ferry.

Not that you will have a choice. But at least our Harper Government—whose very own Port Authority promises will not be paying for the tunnel with government money—has given us honest ticket pricing. So that obligatory fee will be quoted as part of ticket price.

Q: When the government insists you pay it, isn't that a tax? When they let some remote wee part of the government determine the amount, collect it and spend, how does that make it different from 'government money'?

 

[groggy]

Not that you will have a choice. But at least our Harper Government—whose very own Port Authority promises will not be paying for the tunnel with government money—has given us honest ticket pricing. So that obligatory fee will be quoted as part of ticket price.

Q: When the government insists you pay it, isn't that a tax? When they let some remote wee part of the government determine the amount, collect it and spend, how does that make it different from 'government money'?

One of the main reasons flying in canada is so much more expensive then the states is that our government keeps making flyers pay for the airport improvements through fees on tickets, as opposed to the states where its just more infrastructure fees. This is just another case. So you'll pay $20 to walk through the tunnel instead of the free ferry across, which adds a maximum 15 minutes to your travel time.