Thread by @BenSpurr

Reporters are up at the proposed site of the future Finch SmartTrack station this morning for a transit announcement involving all three levels of government.

Governments are announcing federal funding for SmartTrack and Bloor-Yonge capacity improvements. Council had already nominated these projects for federal $ committed to transit, and earlier this year the province said it would support that, so this is not a surprise.

There are a looot of politicians and staffers at this thing. Federal election is right around the corner.

Mayor Tory, still recovering from surgery, has arrived.

Officials here include MP Jean Yip, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, Associate Transportation Minister Kinga Surma, Infrastructure Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Mayor Tory, TTC Chair Jaye Robinson, several others.

Champagne says “this is a great day indeed for Scarborough” and the rest of the city. Federal government committing $1 billion in previously announced transit funding to SmartTrack and Bloor-Yonge capacity improvements.

I’m unclear on how this money will be spent on SmartTrack stations. Metrolinx has pulled new GO and SmartTrack from its procurement process and is instead seeking money from development deals to pay for them.

It’s also unclear whether all six proposed SmartTrack stations are warranted, now that the province has proposed the Ontario Line and a three-stop Scarborough subway.

June council report highlighted uncertainty around SmartTrack stations caused by provincial shakeup of transit plans. Said more study was required, and I’m not sure that work has concluded.

Minister Mulroney calls the planned western extension of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT a “subway.”

“The era of delaying and waiting for new transit is over,” says Mulroney. Her government’s plan will delay the completion of the Scarborough subway extension by years.

Mayor Tory cites the Turtles’ 1967 hit single Happy Together, which he says he was reminded of by today’s cooperation between three levels of government.

Asked about whether her government is still seeking private funds to pay for new GO/SmartTrack stations, Mulroney is vague but says there’s more to come on that issue. Tory is clearer, describes federal funding as a backstop if private deals don’t materialize.

Asked how he can be sure all six proposed SmartTrack stations are warranted given Ontario Line and three-stop Scarborough extension, Tory says no one ever tells him government is building too much transit but he suggests further assessment could be required.

Tory says SmartTrack stations could be under construction next year, in service by 2024. During the 2014 election he promised a much larger version of the project would be open in seven years. He says now he doesn’t regret that, proud the project is advancing.