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Mayor Rob Ford has made no secret of his disdain for streetcars and two weeks ago he took his crusade right to the top, asking TTC boss Andy Byford if he couldn’t just sell the new low-floor models that have yet to roll into service.

Mr. Ford posed the question during a meeting in his office with Mr. Byford about the sale of four tunnel-boring machines. The two agreed to disagree on that issue, recalled the TTC CEO.

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“At the end, he said I want you to get rid of those streetcars, or words to that effect,” said Mr. Byford.

The way Mr. Ford recalls the exchange, the transit chief told him “we’re stuck” with the new streetcars, but Mr. Byford insisted “I would never say we are stuck with them. I said the die is cast.”

He said the mayor then asked, “can’t you just sell them?”

Mr. Byford doesn’t think the city can, because their value would depreciate greatly upon delivery, and because the vehicles are built specifically for Toronto hills and curves.