A subway-funding solution engineered by Scarborough councillors will be offered to council as an alternative to the Sheppard LRT Wednesday.

While Rob Ford hadn’t climbed on board the Scarborough plan as of late Tuesday, the councillors were optimistic their plan would save the mayor’s Sheppard subway extension — whether he endorses it or not.

Council meets Wednesday to debate building the Sheppard LRT rather than extending the subway to Scarborough Town Centre.

Ahead of the vote, left-leaning councillors were confidently predicting Tuesday Ford’s subway dream would be derailed.

But Budget Chief Mike Del Grande said a majority of Scarborough councillors will be presenting a plan Wednesday to create a transit legacy fund for the next 100 years to finish the Sheppard subway and push incremental, “pay-as-you-go” construction of other needed lines.

Councillors pushing the plan say the fund would be raised with an annual 1% property tax increase (on top of the annual tax increase) and a parking levy.

The fund would be separate from the rest of the city’s finances and used solely to fund incremental transit building.

“A majority of Scarborough councillors feel the Sheppard subway should be completed to the Scarborough Town Centre,” Del Grande said Tuesday. “(A legacy fund) should have been done three to four decades ago.”

He said the group of councillors feels the city shouldn’t stop with building the Sheppard.

The group argues the legacy fund could help build a downtown relief line, the Waterfront LRT, the Sheppard West subway, turn the Scarborough RT into a subway line and, if decided upon, a Finch subway.

Ford has yet to sign on to the plan and his office didn’t respond to media enquiries Tuesday night.

“The mayor at the end of the day will have to come to his own conclusions,” Del Grande said.

Councillors Michelle Berardinetti, Norm Kelly and Michael Thompson said the proposal would give council a “concrete” plan to fund transit building with reliable funding sources.

“There is no way around it, we really have to look at revenue sources,” Berardinetti said.

Berardinetti said she'll be surprised to see councillors vote against a subway funding plan that brought in revenue tools and could fund a downtown relief line.

"I'd like them to go to their residents at election time and say I voted against a relief line," she said.

The member of Ford's executive committee said it was "unfortunate" the mayor hasn't signed off on the plan.

"If the mayor is not willing to be on board, I'd hate to see him left at the station but we need to move forward," she said.

The Ward 35, Scarborough Southwest councillor said Toronto residents need "proper transportation".

"It's beyond Sheppard, we're talking about relief lines, this city is grinding to a halt, everybody knows that, it has been going on for years and no one has had the guts to do anything about it. We're going to put it on the table."

Not all Scarborough councillors came out pushing for a subway Tuesday.

Councillor Ron Moeser sent a letter to Ford and councillors saying he couldn't attend Wednesday's meeting due to ongoing health problems but he endorsed building the Sheppard LRT.

"I am aware that people feel strongly on both sides of this issue, but given all the facts, I am supporting an LRT on Sheppard Ave.," Moeser wrote. "Hopefully we will get the funds in the future to complete the LRT to the (Toronto Zoo)."

In the wake of Moeser's letter, Councillor Shelley Carroll said she doubts Ford's subway plan can be adopted Wednesday.

"For most councillors, now that they understand the design of the two options, it is really not about money," Carroll said. "For me it never was (about money), for me it always has been about rapid transit for all of Scarborough, for all of the residents, it is about the riders."