With Rob Ford’s Sheppard subway dream officially crushed, the increasingly isolated mayor is vowing to carry the fight for underground transit into the next election — immediately.

Ford’s leadership has come under increasing scrutiny, even from his council allies in the run-up to Thursday’s 24-19 council vote approving light rail rather than a subway extension for Sheppard Ave. E.

In the wake of the most recent defeat on his transit agenda, Ford immediately told reporters he will urge Premier Dalton McGuinty not to fund “streetcars.”

VIDEO: Ford urges province not to fund LRT

“I’m not going to support the LRTs, I’ll tell you that right now. I’m going to do everything in my power to try to stop it,” he said.

“This is an election issue. Obviously the campaign starts now. I’m willing to take anyone to fight streetcars against subways in the next election, and I can’t wait for that.”

But TTC chair Karen Stintz, who led the support for LRT, said it’s time to get on with spending the $8.4 billion Queen’s Park has pledged to Toronto transit expansion — including about $6.5 billion for the Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown LRT. The remaining money would be split between the LRT on Finch Ave. W. and Sheppard East.

“We’ve come to a solution about how to bring transit to the suburbs,” she said. “We do need to send a message to the province that the majority of council supports the plan – in fact a majority of Scarborough councillors whose wards will be impacted by the LRT.”

At the end of the tense, two-day council meeting, city staff were also directed city staff to report back by the fall on a long-term funding strategy for transit expansion. Councillors also voted to continue pressing senior governments for funding.

Click here to see how each councillor voted

But a motion to implement a $100 million non-residential parking tax, introduced Wednesday by budget chief Michael Del Grande, was not approved.

The last-minute attempt to win subway support, dismissed as “desperate” by some councillors, wasn’t enough to persuade a majority that the mayor had a viable subway plan and Ford did not speak up to support Del Grande’s motion.

But many councillors, including Stintz, said it was the beginning of an important conversation about the need to find new funding sources to build transit.

Meantime, “We felt it was only responsible to go with the funding plan we have to make sure that we deliver transit to the city,” said Stintz, who was labeled a “backstabber” and criticized for her “lack of leadership” by Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother.

VIDEO: Doug Ford lashes out at Karen Stintz

But even some of the mayor’s disappointed key supporters said they will respect council’s decision.

“I have fought the fight within my area of jurisdiction. Council has pronounced itself on that. It now goes to the MPPs to decide. All my arguments are out on the table, everything that I could bring to the debate I have already done,” said disappointed Councillor Norm Kelly (Scarborough-Agincourt).

Councillor Paul Ainslie (Scarborough East) said he won’t argue to undo council’s decision but would continue to talk up the need for subways.

“I’m going to continue to advocate for subways but also for a regional transportation system,” he said.

While Kelly referred to LRT “second-class transit,” other Scarborough councillors said their constituents have come out winners.

“We voted overwhelmingly today to invest $4 billion in Scarborough. We’ve got the biggest transit investment ever in the history of Scarborough. This is spectacular news,” said Councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker (Scarborough Centre).

Ford said residents in Scarborough would prefer no new transit rather than streetcars in the middle of their streets.

Earlier Thursday, the mayor launched into a furious attack on streetcars.

VIDEO: Ford makes final plea for subways

“The people of the city have spoken loud and clear. They want subways folks. They want subways, subways, subways,” he told councillors.

“People hate the St. Clair. They hate these streetcars. You can call them what they want. People want subways folks. They want subways, subways. They don’t want these damned streetcars blocking up our city,” shouted the mayor.

Ford suggested that council should have waited until the federal and provincial governments released their budgets. But later on Newstalk 1010 radio, the mayor admitted he had no knowledge that there was any subway money coming from Queen’s Park or Ottawa.

In February, Ford was defeated in his bid to keep the east end of the Eglinton LRT tunneled when council voted to run it above ground east of Laird Ave. Council also agreed to return to the previous Metrolinx-Toronto plan to build an LRT on Finch Ave. W.

On Thursday, Ontario Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli issued a statement saying Queen’s Park will respect council’s decision on LRT.

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“The Finch West LRT, Eglinton Crosstown and Scarborough RT upgrade received an overwhelming endorsement by council in February. Today, council finalized their proposal for Sheppard Avenue East,” said the statement.

“Metrolinx will now review that plan and then cabinet will deal with this in a timely manner.”

With files from Paul Moloney and Daniel Dale

Estimated comparison of Sheppard subway versus LRT

Sheppard LRT (Don Mills to Morningside)

13.6 km

Annual ridership in 2031: 17 million

Annual new ridership: 7.7 million

Typical time saved per person: 4 minutes

Total weekday time saved: 3,800 hours

Cost (in 2010 $): $1 billion

Sheppard subway extension (Don Mills to Scarborough Centre)

8 km

Annual ridership: 27 million in 2031

Annual new ridership: 12.2 million

Typical time saved per person: 10 minutes

Total weekday time saved: 5,000 hours

Cost (in 2010 dollars): $3.25 billion

Source: TTC

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